While driving near Cross Fork, Pennsylvania, park ranger Sarah Lindgren had an unexpected encounter that made her hit the brakes. She noticed an animal in distress by the roadside and quickly realized it was a bear cub with its head stuck in an empty plastic jar.

Lindgren acted swiftly and carefully approached the cub. With a firm tug, she freed the cub’s head from the jar. The little bear seemed disoriented and gave Lindgren a distrustful look. She encouraged the cub to move away from the road to avoid any further danger.

After the bear moved to a safe distance, Lindgren alerted the Pennsylvania Game Commission about the incident. Although the mother bear was not seen during the rescue, officials believe that the cub, estimated to be about 8 months old, is old enough to survive independently.

Lindgren believes that if the mother had been present, she would have been able to remove the container herself. It’s possible that the cub had been used to being alone and had already been surviving by itself.

A few days after the rescue, Lindgren spotted the bear again and noticed that he was regaining his strength. She is optimistic about his chances of survival and is glad she was able to help.