For nearly two weeks, a young female bear’s life was in serious danger after she became trapped with a large plastic jar stuck over her head.

The 2-year-old, weighing about 70 pounds, had been spotted wandering with the container firmly lodged in place. Unable to eat and with only limited access to water, she somehow managed to keep moving — covering dozens of miles in her search for relief.

Wildlife officials had been tracking her through public reports, setting up live traps in the hope of catching her and removing the jar. But the bear’s constant travel made it difficult to predict her location. Day after day, she stayed one step ahead of her would-be rescuers.

Then, after nearly 12 days, a breakthrough came. A family staying at their cabin spotted the bear emerging from the woods. She walked cautiously toward them, thin and exhausted. While keeping a safe distance, one of the family members called wildlife authorities and continued following her, speaking calmly and waving his arms to keep her in sight until help arrived.

A trained wildlife professional soon joined them, using a safe immobilization dart to sedate the bear. Once she was asleep, rescuers worked quickly to cut away the jar that had caused her so much suffering. To their relief, there were no injuries to her head or neck — just signs of weight loss and dehydration.

“It’s incredible that she survived nearly two weeks without proper food and very little water,” said one of the rescuers. “Being there when it was finally over was something we’ll never forget.”After the jar was removed, the bear was relocated to a quiet, wooded area filled with natural food sources. She woke up alert and immediately began eating berries nearby, free at last from the plastic trap that could have ended her life.