KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A cub who had a pet feeder stuck on his head for almost two months is now recovering at a bear rehabilitation center.
The cub, named Juggles by the Appalachian Bear Rescue, was first spotted with the plastic pet feeder on his head on Aug. 14 near Chilhowee Lake. He was seen with his mother and three other siblings, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
TWRA Black Bear Support Biologist Janelle Musser began a trapping effort and was able to lure the cub into a trap, but was unable to trigger it with its mouth due to the container. She moved the trap each time a new sighting was reported, even trying a different style trap with a foot plate trigger. However, the mother eventually became trap-shy and became difficult to pattern.
On Tuesday night, a resident who'd been following the situation reported that the cub was in a tree. Musser was able to dart the animal and remove the container.
"Darting bears in trees is not standard practice and is only done in an emergency," Musser said. "This cub would not be able to continue surviving like this."
Although the container was on the cub's head for a long period, the bear didn't have any abrasions and was in relatively good shape other than his ears being mashed down to his head.
Juggles is now recovering with ABR who says they believe he couldn't eat very much but was able to get just enough water to survive.
The cub was taken to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a medical check on Wednesday.
The TWRA wants citizens to be "BearWise" when it comes to pet food and attracting bears.
Garbage, birdseed, and pet food are the main attractants that bring bears into residents’ yards, near their homes and on their porches. In this case, an automatic pet food feeder left out for dogs or cats attracted the bear cub.
The TWRA said this is not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last unless people follow BearWise practices. Incidents like this are more common when bears rummage through garbage. This time of year, bears are bulking up for winter and are trying to eat upwards of 20,000 calories a day.
Residents in bear country can expect to see higher activity levels this time of year and should secure their garbage, remove their birdfeeders, feed pets for limited time periods, and remove all bowls, the TWRA said.
