While driving near Cross Fork, Pennsylvania, park ranger Sarah Lindgren had to slam on the brakes when she noticed something distressing just off the road.

There, lying on the roadside, was an animal in clear distress that caught Lindgren’s attention.

“I saw what looked like a bear with something on its head lying motionless on the berm of the road,” Lindgren recounted to The Dodo.

As she approached the animal, Lindgren’s suspicions were confirmed—it was a bear cub with its head firmly trapped in an empty plastic jar. Soon, signs of life emerged.

“As I walked up to the cub, [he] picked up [his] head,” Lindgren recalled. “So, I went into super sneak mode to approach [him].”

Given the cub’s conspicuous location by the roadside, it seemed as if he was seeking help from passing motorists. And that’s precisely what he got.

With a decisive pull, Lindgren managed to free the cub’s head from the jar.

“Afterward, [he] was very disoriented and gave me a distrustful look,” Lindgren noted. “I started to encourage [him] to move on so [he] wouldn’t get hit by a car.”

Once the bear moved to a safer spot, Lindgren promptly informed the Pennsylvania Game Commission about the situation.

Despite not seeing the cub’s mother during the incident, officials estimated that the 8-month-old cub was old enough to survive independently, possibly having done so already.

“I believe if the mother had been involved, she would have been able to remove the container herself,” Lindgren speculated. “I would imagine that [he] was used to being alone.”

Fortunately, a few days after the rescue, Lindgren spotted the bear again and noticed signs of him regaining strength.

“I am optimistic [that he’ll survive]!” Lindgren exclaimed. “I did what I legally could do, and I’m happy that I came along to help.”