I can still see the frighten look on the adult female grizzly face I saw one early morning in June. I have known F160 since 2012 when she was a year old, life was a lot simpler then, with her mother in her 20s having lots of life experience and doing a great job looking after her three cubs. In June the eight years, was in a bad place, bad side of the fence, and middle of the Trans-Canada Highway. F160 was looking for a way out, kept changing direction, running back and forth. I was worried for her and even more so when I could only see one of the two cubs she was with just a few days before. I called Banff’s Dispatch, they were already made aware and help was on its way. As I was talking I saw the help, replied back, I hope the other cub is safe and I left the area. Later that day I learned the family was back on the good side of the fence. About ten days later the other cubs was spotted with vehicle related injuries, with a broken back right leg. She was euthanized the next day.
Banff National Park has come a long way, keeping wildlife away from the busy road, with fences, wildlife crossing and colleague working to keep the wildlife safe. Bears are pretty amazing animal, very curious, which is great when searching for food. No one knows if it was the search for food or running from a large male grizzly that got them going over the “cattle guard” and then onto the highway. The hard part always is getting wildlife back to the good side of the fence on their own, physical options are being incorporated. But even today, the best hope comes in the form of human, opening the gates along the road and forcing the wildlife in their direction. The cub is survived by its mother and its sibling, hoping to see them for many more years.
