Carrot Creek Alberta - A black bear cub has been orphaned after its mother was hit and killed by a train near Carrot Creek in Banff National Park.
 
On 27 Sep 2016 resource conservation officers with Parks Canada were alerted to a CP train striking an unknown black bear on the railway line through the park.
 
"Our wildlife management staff were able to confirm that an adult female black bear had died of its injuries at that location," said David Gummer, a wildlife ecologist with Banff National Park.
 
"Unfortunately they also found that there was a young-of-the-year black bear remaining at the scene."
 
It's the first confirmed railway mortality of a black bear in Banff.
 
When wildlife officials arrived, the approximately eight-month old bear was spotted nearby and didn't appear to be injured by the train.
 
"It's of an age and a large enough body size that it could be self sufficient," said Gummer, noting it's weight is approximately 15 kilograms.
 
Black bears normally stay with their mothers into their second year before going on their own.
 
"It's been seen in Banff and elsewhere across North America that bears losing their mother in the first year can survive," he explained.
 
"They'll instinctively search for small food items and they'll den towards the end of winter as well."
 
Gummer said he's hopeful for the young bear's survival.
 
"The older and the larger the young bear, the better its chances of survival," he said, noting it appeared to be in good condition when they saw it at the scene.
 
"Although it will face many challenges, we're hopeful that it will do well and that, given the difficult situation, it's best chances to survive in the wild are to leave it on its own."
 
Gummer said it's not clear why the bears were hanging around the area, although they did find trace amounts of grain on the tracks.
 
CP confirmed the strike, but did not address the issue of grain in an emailed statement.
 
"CP and Parks Canada have been working very closely on preventing bear mortality in our national parks and regrets this incident occurred," said spokeswoman Salem Woodrow.
 
The multi-year project between CP and Parks Canada will come up with ways to reduce the number of bear deaths along the railway line, one of the leading causes of deaths in the national parks.
 
The results are expected to be complete later this fall or early this winter.
 
"Although the focus there has been on grizzly bears, we're optimistic that some of the solutions will be advantageous for other wildlife as well," said Gummer.
 
No grizzly bears have been struck by trains in the national park so far this year, but one was killed on the railway tracks going through Canmore.
 
Colette Derworiz.