KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A bear cub with a plastic container stuck on its head was rescued Tuesday morning in Sevier County after a seven-day effort by the Appalachian Bear Rescue and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
The nearly five-month-old cub was first spotted on June 13 in Covered Bridge Resort in the Wears Valley area of Sevier County when it was seen crossing the road with a mother bear and two other cubs.
Appalachian Bear Rescue and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency did surveillance and followed additional tips from the public over the following days using tools such heat-sensitive scopes and trail cams. On Monday, TWRA and ABR staff were able to locate the cub in a tree.
They attempted to use a catch pole loop to secure the bear. While the plastic container was finally removed in the process, the cub evaded the grasp before they could transport it to the Appalachian Bear Rescue facilities to ensure the bear was in good health. The cub was later captured and named ‘Little Trouble’ on account of being so difficult to catch.
In a Facebook post, Appalachian Bear Rescue called the weeklong ordeal, “one of the lengthiest and most challenging rescues in ABR’s history.”
Photo: Appalachian Bear Rescue 
A bear cub with a plastic container stuck to its head seen climbing a tree. Photo: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 
A bear cub with a plastic container stuck to its head seen climbing a tree. Photo: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 
A bear cub with a plastic container stuck to its head seen climbing a tree. Photo: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 
Little Trouble was brought to their facility where she weighed in at 15.2 pounds, a healthy weight for a cub of her age. They stated that even after her week-long adventure she seemed to be in good health. She will stay at the recovery center for a few days so vets can monitor her.
