A black bear grazes on vegetation in Banff national Park - 4 Jul 2012 Leah Hennel.

17 June 2013

Black Bear Killed on the Railway Tracks in Banff National Park

Banff Alberta - Just months after bears came out of hibernation, the first bear has been killed on the railway tracks in Banff National Park.
 
Parks Canada dispatch received a call around 2 p.m. Friday about the black bear, which appeared to have been hit by a train overnight about 4.5 kilometres east of the Minnewanka overpass.
 
It was a 220-pound male.
 
"There was the usual sporadic amount of grain on the tracks, but there wasn't anything significant," said Michelle Macullo, a Parks Canada spokeswoman for the Banff field unit. "There were no piles. There wasn't any evidence that the bear was feeding on grain."
 
"What's interesting, though, was the spot where the bear was hit, the tracks are straight there and there are pretty good sight lines there."
 
It's the first bear mortality of the season.
 
"June is a busy time for the bears. It's mating season and they are trying to gain weight," she said. "We're hoping for a much better spring and summer this year."
 
Parks Canada and CPR are in the midst of a five-year, $1-million study developing better strategies to keep bears off the train tracks.
 
Author unknown.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada