In Wannaska, Minnesota, winter typically means lots and lots of snow. Recently, a few people were driving along one particular stretch of road, taking in the scenery, when they noticed a splash of black in the middle of all the white.
And it didn’t take long for them to realize it was a black bear who needed help.
“A culvert alongside the road near Wannaska apparently looked like a comfy place to hunker down for the winter, so this bear cuddled up and went to sleep,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wrote in a post on Facebook.
“Bears do occasionally hibernate above ground, so this isn’t unusual. Unfortunately, melting snow can sometimes flood bears out of culverts, and that’s what happened here: The culvert started to flood and this bear got stuck in the deep snow and ice.”
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Some people tried to dig the bear out or lure him out with food, but he was just too stuck. Concerned for his safety, dozens of people began calling the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in the hopes that they could save the bear.
“Our bear biologist, Andrew Tri, examined the bear and pronounced him healthy but groggy — obviously, because he’d been woken up from his winter sleep,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.
It’s no wonder that the kind passersby weren’t able to dig the bear out themselves — it turns out he weighs a whopping 400 pounds.
Because of all the calls from people wanting to help, though, he was able to get the help he needed and has since been relocated somewhere safe where he can hopefully continue to hibernate in peace.
“Thanks to your caring calls, we were able to get this bear out quickly,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.