BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — Parents in the Mars Area School District received a shocking email Thursday about a black bear being spotted near their kids’ playground
“I wake up this morning, my wife tells me there is a bear at the school,” said parent Mike Kohler.
The school district’s email told parents a bear was seen walking across the grounds of the Primary Center, and the incident had been reported to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
On Friday, parents told Channel 11 they prepared their kids.
Kohler showed Channel 11 what he told his 6-year-old to do if she saw a bear:
“Does the bear scare you? What do we do when we see a bear? You put your hands up and you scream, right? You say, ‘Nooo!’”
The Game Commission tells Channel 11 that, generally, black bears don’t interact with humans, and during this time of year, they’re looking for food ahead of their hibernation.
In the past few months, several black bears have been spotted in the area.
“We are in their territory in the upper north, the winter is getting ready to come, they have to put on that fat, and then they’ll go away for a little bit.”
Kohler told us he’s seen a bear in his yard, but says it’s not something he’ll ever get used to.
“We are from South Carolina, so we aren’t used to bears,” Kohler said.
The district is monitoring the area and says they will report any additional sightings to the Game Commission.
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