Park rangers rescued a bear cub that wandered into a village with its head stuck in a canister.

Footage shows the wild animal roaming around with its head lodged in the container in Parsari village in Uttarakhand state, India, on November 21. Its distressed mother followed closely behind, sparking alarm among residents as it became aggressive.

Nanda Devi National Park rangers tranquilised the bears in a gruelling four-hour operation. They then cut the canister off before leaving the mother and cub in a forest.

Officers said the cub may have been searching for food when it stuck its head in the container.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B.B. Martoliya of Nanda Devi National Park said: 'This area has a rich biodiversity, and bears have been living here for a long time. It is part of their habitat.

'The mountains with their large boulders serve as shelters. Urbanisation and improper waste disposal are attracting animals to human settlements. Climate change is also impacting their basic hibernation patterns.'

He added that nine teams have been deployed to nine wards to prevent any conflicts with the bears.