Bear cub freed from plastic jar near Hearst, Ont.

A young black bear cub was rescued after he was found with a plastic jar stuck on his head near Hearst, Ontario on June 1, 2025. (Photos courtesy of First Nation and MNR)

A young black bear cub was rescued Sunday after he was found with a plastic jar stuck around his head near Hearst, Ontario.

The rescue was made possible through the combined efforts of Constance Lake First Nations and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Mike McIntosh with Bear With Us, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Sprucedale says the rescued cub is now in his care at the bear facility.

Members from Constance Lake First Nation spotted the distressed bear, whose head was trapped inside the container preventing him from eating, drinking and properly breathing.

The MNR secured the cub and arranged a safe transfer with McIntosh to the local rehab center.

This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by improperly discarded waste in natural habitats. Bear With Us is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of orphaned and injured bears in Ontario.