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When bears and other animals get into trash, it's more than a nuisance. It's a legitimate threat to their lives.

George Cheney spotted a bear when he heard a noise next door at his Seminole County home.

"Looked to see what was going on out here and saw the bear over in my neighbor's trash over there,” Cheney said.

The bear could be seen in an obvious predicament.

"With the jar on his head, he can't eat. He can't drink, and I don't see how he's getting a good breath,” Cheney said.

"There's a question of how much airflow, you know, is coming and going, so that is pretty bad having that jar stuck over his head could be pretty serious for him,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s bear expert, Mike Orlando.

As soon as the report came into FWC, a trap was set in the area where the young bear was last seen, hoping to catch it and get the jar off of its head.

“We're not taking any chances. We're trying to capture the bear. We're putting the word out. We want people to call us,” Orlando said.

It has happened before. A successful rescue effort last fall took place when a bear in south Florida got its head stuck in a pet food feeder.

“Once it's past the ears, it's almost impossible for them to get it off because the ears act like a locking mechanism, and they can't pull it off,” Orlando said.

That rescue gives officials some optimism about the bear spotted near the Wekiva River. Its ears are behind the mouth of the jar.

"There is a chance that he can get a claw or something and pull that jug off, but it seemed from the photograph that we've seen it seemed like it was on there pretty tight," Orlando said.

How does one best protect critters?

“If we could just get people to crush those things, stomp on them, crush the jar, so they can't get their head in there, that will go a long way,” Orlando said.

Secure your trash, officials advise. The trap remains set.

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