Speed Reads

unbearable

Bear cub sticks head in cookie jar, climbs into nearby tree, prompts decidedly unique rescue operation

I get it: Animal crackers are really, really good.

So good, in fact, that a bear cub in New Jersey decided that pulling a discarded jar of them over his head while rummaging through trash would be worth it. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But instead of sugar-high bliss, the cub found himself stuck, and when officials from the Environmental Protection Department approached, the bear spooked and stumbled up into a tree, cookie jar and all:

Firefighters arranged netting in case the cub fell (luckily, he did not), and a DEP biologist managed to tranquilize the bear, at which point The Associated Press reports that "local firefighters gingerly cut the jar off its head."

At least now the little guy has one heck of a story to tell the other cubs. --Sarah Eberspacher