A 120-pound Vermont black bear is back in the woods after getting its head stuck in a milk can.

It took a state biologist, firefighters and police about 45 minutes to free the bear's head from the can after the animal was found late one Sunday morning off Vermont Route 106 in the town of Reading.

The Rutland Herald said officials estimate the bear had its head stuck in the old fashioned milk can for at least six hours before it was found.

Fish and Wildlife Biologist Forrest Hammond said the bear had been running and bumping into trees and boulders, in a panic.

Hammond used soap to lubricate the bear's head so the can could be pulled off, but it didn't work. Firefighters helped him cut the can off.

In this photo released by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, a 120-pound Vermont black bear is seen with its head stuck in a milk can in the woods near Reading, Vermont. Officials estimate the bear had its head stuck in the old-fashioned milk can for at least six hours before it was discovered.

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