Wild Things in Wild Places: Kahr Firearms Group Welcomes New Tenant in PA
OutdoorHub 05.13.14
It is the type of story that you just don’t hear very often. As land development eats away at wildlife habitat, chasing animals away from areas they consider to be home, one company is sharing their new headquarters property with the existing wildlife.
At the end of March, as Kahr Firearms Group was breaking ground on their new headquarters in Pike County, Pennsylvania, it was discovered that the 620 acre parcel was home to a female black bear and her cub. The bear den was located just 400 yards from where the crew was about to begin with the excavation for the new Kahr Firearms Group offices.
The construction crew notified Kahr, and the company immediately reached out to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for some assistance. When the game wardens arrived, they sedated the sow in order to exam her, check her vital statistics, and then tag her with a tracking collar. Only one cub was in the den and the game wardens determined that based on the size of the cub and the weight of the sow, that the bear likely had some health issues during hibernation. When the examination was complete, the bear cub and the sow were determined to be healthy and the game warden turned to Kahr Firearms Group owner, Justin Moon, and asked if he wanted the bears removed. “It was an easy decision for me. I felt that the bear and her cub had survived a very harsh winter and the den was their home. I strongly believe that man can cohesively share habitat with animals, so I felt the most respectful decision was to share the property with the bear and her cub.”
The sow and her cub were returned to the den and the decision to stay or move on was left to the 4-legged tenant on whether or not she and her cub want to stay. Since then, the crew has no additional sightings of the bears, but, everyone is hoping that they stick around and enjoy their new neighbors.
Don’t you love a story with a happy ending?
