Watch: The Alarming Trend of Bears on Train Tracks
bear via unsplash
“The Boss” is a massive grizzly bear and inhabitant of Banff National Park who is notorious for having been hit by a train and survived.
But why was he on the tracks in the first place?
Also known as Banff Bear 122, this grizzly weighs an estimated 650-700 lbs. He first made headlines after having survived a collision with a train, then again when he was spotted cannibalizing the remains of a black bear.
Bears are often attracted to railway tracks due to various food sources available in these areas. Spilled grain from cargo trains, palatable plants, and ungulates who have also been killed by trains attract hungry bears.
There is some evidence that the recent increase in the local wolf population has caused greater competition for food between predator species. Thus, bears are driven to search for food in more dangerous areas, such as along the train tracks.
Canadian Pacific and Parks Canada's Grizzly Bear Conservation Initiative has taken many steps to solve this issue. Retrofitting and replacing hopper vehicles has reduced grain spillage effectively.
How are Railway-Related Bear Deaths Being Prevented?
Additional inventions include rail-mounted warning devices, which act like pedestrian crossing lights. A “deer-in-headlights” behavior may be prevented by these technologies warning animals to leave the rails several seconds earlier.
Despite the incredible nature of The Boss’s story, it serves to remind us of the threat humans pose to animals, even in their natural habitats. Hopefully conservation efforts are successful in allowing animals to better live undisturbed by human activity.