Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell

 

Today’s heartwarming animal rescue story comes from The Good News Network.

Wisconsin Bear with Snack Jug Stuck on Head Freed, Relocated and Released

By Andy Corbley–

Wisconsin residents called in by the dozen: “There’s a bear in my yard,” they said.

However, wildlife authorities were taken aback by the next detail: “It has a jar on its head!”

The Winnie the Pooh wannabe was a 2-year-old female black bear who had obviously followed her nose about 18 inches too far. Feasting on cheese balls, pretzels, or something else that’s sold in those massive plastic snack jugs, the animal couldn’t extract its head after it had finished.

“My immediate neighbor was like, ‘hey, just heads up, here is what’s heading towards your house,’” said Jayme Morey, coordinator for the Chequamegon Humane Association in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Used to spreading the word about missing dogs and cats, this emergency was rather different. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had been tracking the bear for a week, as Morey’s call wasn’t the only one they had received.

They were finally able to find it, tranquilize it, and remove the jug from its head. Clearly skinny, the bear had been trapped for at least 11 days based on the record of sightings by locals. It could still get water by dunking its head and slurping up what entered through the sides of the jug.

“We’ve seen this come up from time to time, often with a bear, occasionally a deer,” Randy Johnson, a large carnivore specialist with the Wisconsin DNR, told CBS News. “The good news is this is the time of year when food is the most abundant in the woods, and she’s got two months to kind of get back into healthy shape going into winter.”

credit – USDA Aphis Wildlife Service via Facebook

Indeed, the bear was just 70 pounds when rescued—about the same as some of the largest dog breeds. A bear of that age at that time of year should weigh over 150, Johnson said.

He said she had a good shot of surviving, and after her release, she jogged to a berry patch and started chowing down.

The good news in this story is that concerned citizens spoke up about the bear’s plight. Today’s JohnKu talks about staying vigilant. I hope you have a super weekend.

Report It by John W. Howell © 2025

If something looks odd,

Don’t think it will go away . . .

Call an official.

 

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

63 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  15. Thank you, John, for showing us how a heartbreaking situation can be remedied by thoughtful folks. If only, if only people realized how their carelessness harms others. 💙

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Oh my goodness, the poor girl was exhausted. And if not for the great good work of these peeps, this story ain’t got a happy ending. You know, I see these stories on my YouTube feed all the time. It’s good to know people are looking out for all the beasts, large and small. Great stuff Sheriff

    Like

  20. Wonderful news of it being rescued poor thing… I bet it was so relieved to have that jug removed. Lets hope it munches merrily and gains that weight again..

    I am trying my best with Biscuit to help him put back his weight after all those teeth he had removed… He has certainly regained his appetite, but after two weeks of not eating hardly anything, he still has a way to go to get back his normal weight.

    Its great that there are those out there who do these kind of rescues…
    Many thanks for sharing John xx ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Hi John, so glad this poor female black bear is safe.

    Things like this happen in Romania too, in Transylvania, where the lush forests are still populated with brown bears. I read stories of bears hanging out on the side of the mountain roads, waiting for passing vehicles to throw them food. Evolution can be cruel.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. The JohnKu is to be heeded.

    The rescue is wonderful.

    But I am P/o’d that people leave things around that animals can get into trouble with. It may have been a jar on a picnic table _ So put it away when you leave the table, or put the pickles in a bowl!

    Perhaps it’s careless trash? Or, something that should be recycled.. but you didn’t bother, and just chucked it.

    Whatever, I blame humans. We are a bane on the animal world!

    It is against the law to toss out a fridge with the door on, in case a child gets trapped inside. But it’s okay to toss things that can harm animals. It goes far beyond this one jar!

    😡X

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, I am. Thank you, John!
        I promise I won’t do that again. I was high on Pine-Sol. Darn that massive old stairway to the second floor apartment! I had to wash it.

        Sometimes I love animals more than humans.
        🙂X 🙂X

        Liked by 1 person

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