A black bear spotted in the Thunder Bay area with a plastic jar on its head has had the container stuck for two weeks, wildlife officials say.

Just before noon on Tuesday, Amethyst Harbour resident Rob Paterson spotted a young bear passing by his property with a clear jar “jammed right on his head.”

The animal briefly came onto his porch, and wandered in and out of the area all day. He immediately called the province’s ministry of natural resources.

“There’s no way to get that off without anesthetizing the animal and cutting it off,” Paterson said. “That’s the frustration, because when you first see it you want to go and rip it off his head but you can’t do that.”

The ministry and the OPP have been trying to subdue the bear with a tranquilizer dart since Monday, said Jolanta Kowalski, media spokesperson with the ministry. They are concerned because the bear — 1 ½ to 2 ½ years old and between 27 and 36 kilograms — cannot eat or drink.

Two weeks ago, the ministry received a report of a bear with a jar on its head from a resident in Hurkett, Ont. — more than 30 kilometres northeast of Amethyst Harbour. Officials believe it is the same bear.

A radio transmitter is attached to the tranquilizer dart so the animal can be tracked after it is hit. It can take up to eight minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect — plenty of time for the bear to run away, Kowalski said.

A bear trap has also been set up on nearby Lambert Island.

Ross Johnston, a conservation officer with the ministry, says dense bush has made spotting the bear difficult. He is concerned about the animal getting enough to drink, and suspects he is surviving off condensation and sweat dripping into the jar.

“I’m really surprised he hasn’t just ripped it off. They shred through anything usually, but maybe it has just given up,” Johnston said.

In July 2008, officials in Minnesota were forced to shoot and kill a bear with a jar stuck on its head for six days. Kowalski said the ministry hopes this bear will avoid that fate.

It is common for smaller animals like skunks to get trapped in jars, but it is rare to have this occur with a bear, she added.

While residents are aware of the potential danger to people in the area, their true concern is for the bear.

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“It’s a sad example of what happens when we don’t discard our recyclables. These animals don’t have to be in this distress,” Paterson said.

Ministry officials have asked residents to call and report a recent sighting at 1-866-514-2327 to help track the bear.