19 June 2007
Grizzly Bear Struck and Killed by Train
A female grizzly bear was struck and killed on the Canadian
Pacific Railway line in Banff National Park on Monday morning.
According to Parks Canada officials, the bear was struck just before 9 a.m. by a westbound train about a kilometre from the east end of
the Bow Valley Parkway.
Two yearling cubs were with their mother when she was killed. One was reported to be injured, but neither has been found by wardens.
"The bad news of dead bears continues - just a few weeks after the good news of CP Railway's announced intent to repair defective
grain cars," said Jim Pissot of Defenders of Wildlife Canada.
Defenders of Wildlife Canada renewed its request to the Canadian Pacific Railway for additional measures to conserve wildlife in Banff
National Park. These include characterizing collision sites to better understand what contributes to collisions and documenting
encounters between trains and wildlife to determine what will alert animals and frighten them from tracks.
"It is time for Parks Canada and the Canadian Pacific Railway to take real steps to reducing wildlife collisions," said
Pissot, "instead of just bragging about how they are cooperating with each other. Another family of grizzly bears has paid the
price for years of talk without meaningful action."
The loss of the sow and two cubs on Monday brings the total to twelve grizzlies killed by Canadian Pacific Railway trains in Banff
National Park since 2000. According to Parks Canada, three black bears have been killed by CP trains in Banff and Yoho national parks
this year. CP Railway reported striking a additional black bear and her two cubs near the eastern border of Banff National Park, but
nothing was found.
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