Police, with the approval of wildlife experts, have shot a black bear that accidentally stuck a plastic jug on its head when the animal strayed into the community of Frazee during the town's turkey festival.

In a statement issued Wednesday, a bear expert at the Department of Natural Resources said they allowed police to kill the bear on Saturday because the animal came close to people. An estimated 1,500 people were in Frazee to celebrate Turkey Day.

The bear should have been live-trapped or shot with a tranquilizer for experts to free its head from the two-and-a-half gallon jug but there was no chance to do it because it was so elusive, Dave Garshelis, the bear expert, told TwinCities.com.

"It was a judgment call the officers had to make," said Dennis Udovich, president of the North American Bear Association in Orr.

Conservation officer Chris Vinton examined the dead two-year-old bear and found it was emaciated, dehydrated, and near death for not eating and drinking in a week. The bear may have stuck its head on the jar while scrounging for food near homes or a garbage dump.

The "Jar Head Bear" was first seen near Lake George on July 21. In the next five days, it wandered to the Itasca State Park, a Boy Scout camp, outside of Frazee, and finally to Frazee.