A black bear cub has been struck by a train, and Parks Canada officials are blaming grain on the tracks for the death, however CN officials deny grain played a part in the death.

The yearling was struck last Wednesday by a CN train, two kilometres east of town.

“The yearling was eating grain with its mother. The train missed the female, but the yearling didn’t get out of the way,” said Wes Bradford, wildlife specialist with Jasper National Park.

Bradford said about eight black bears are killed each year on the railroad tracks, with grain acting as the attractant. Once a bear learns the train tracks are a good source of food, they tend to return, increasing the risk of an accident.

“CN has vacuum trucks, but another train goes by with a leaky hopper car, and the grain is back out there,” Bradford said. “It’s a constant effort.”

Park Wardens use rubber bullets and bear bangers to chase bears away from the town and the tracks, Bradford said. Last week, two bears were chased from the CN Rail yard and another was sighted near the tracks by the Jasper Airfield.

CN rail spokesman Kevin Franchuk said CN found no grain by the dead bear.
“There is no evidence to suggest the bears were eating grain,” Franchuk said.

He also said CN trains hit one or two bears in Jasper National Park a year, not eight. Grain found on the tracks is cleaned up in a day, Franchuk said.

“Grain on the tracks from grain cars is our attractant to the townsite,” Bradford said. “On years where there is a berry failure, we have bears in town.”

Bradford said bears are on the valley floor at this time of year, attracted by the green vegetation. Several grizzly bears are also hunting elk calves near the Pine Bungalows.

“They’ve learned to hunt elk calves,” Bradford said.

Parks is also asking residents to clean up their crab apple trees and move hanging bird feeders in order to remove attractants from the townsite.

“Residential and commercial operations should bearproof their property,” Bradfordsaid.

Hikers should also be aware of grizzly activity on trails in the area. A breeding pair of grizzlies has been spotted by the sixth bridge. While Bradford encourages hikers to carry bear spray, walk in groups and be aware of bear activity, he says hikers should not be afraid of the trails.

“Since 1926, there have only been three fatalities from bear maulings in the park,” Bradford said.

The last report of a bear attacking a human occurred in August 26, 2006 on Jacques Lake, when an off-leash dog lured a black bear back to its owners.

Prior to that, on July 8, 1999, a black bear attacked 13-year-old David Thomas on the Wynd Road. Thomas was fishing with some friends when a black bear chased him across a pond and onto a beaver dam. The boy escaped and the bear was destroyed.
Bradford estimates there are between 80 and 90 black bears in Jasper National Park, and between 60 and 90 grizzly bears in the park. It has been four years since a grizzly bear has been killed on the highway or on the railway tracks, however black bear fatalities are more common.

Grizzly bears are under less duress in the park now than twenty years ago, Bradford said. Between 1975 and 1985, an average of eight bears were killed in the park and between 10 and 15 grizzly bears were hunted legally.

CN Rail has invested money to repair federal grain cars, however they still use non-government cars as well.

“We repaired 3,000 government hopper cars and finished the work early this year,”Franchuk said.

Bear sightings are reported on the Jasper National Park Bear report web page.