Parks Canada staff who spent hundreds of hours tracking a rare white grizzly bear known as Nakoda had recently celebrated her emergence from hibernation with two new cubs in British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 Yoho National Park, said parks wildlife management specialist Saudi Stevens.

Now all three animals are dead, after two separate crashes on the same day on the Trans-Canada Highway in southeast British Columbia.

Parks Canada announced Nakoda91裸聊视频檚 death on Monday, four days after the crashes that ultimately claimed her life and those of her cubs.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 actually devastated the team that was so deeply invested in really trying to prevent this outcome,91裸聊视频� Stevens told a news briefing.

She called for better highway awareness in parks.

91裸聊视频淪o many staff are actually working hard to make roads safer for wildlife (and) we really want to emphasize to visitors the importance of not stopping and lingering to view wildlife, to drive cautiously and to obey the speed limits.91裸聊视频�

Stevens said that on Thursday morning, Nakoda91裸聊视频檚 two cubs were struck by a vehicle and killed on the highway.

About 12 hours later, Nakoda was struck, too, between the Lake O91裸聊视频橦ara access road and Wapta Lake.

Parks Canada said in a statement that wildlife management staff had been repairing fencing along the road when the adult bear, designated GB178, was startled by a train and ran in front of two vehicles.

One vehicle was able to swerve and avoid the bear, but the driver of the second vehicle was unable to react in time and struck her, the statement said.

Stevens said staff were 91裸聊视频渙ptimistic91裸聊视频� the bear would survive as they watched her climb over the fence and head toward the forest with 91裸聊视频渘o apparent injuries other than a limp.91裸聊视频�

But she said the animal was confirmed dead on Saturday when a 91裸聊视频渕ortality signal91裸聊视频� was sent from the bear91裸聊视频檚 GPS tracking collar.

Stevens said the deaths were 91裸聊视频渄evastating91裸聊视频� for the team, who had been tracki ng Nakoda for about two years.

91裸聊视频淪ince 2022, our Parks Canada wildlife management team has actually spent a significant amount of time, and I mean hundreds upon hundreds of hours, managing Bear 178,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淛ust weeks ago, everyone in our office were actually celebrating her emergence from the den with two new cubs.91裸聊视频�

She said such incidents can be an 91裸聊视频渦nfortunate reality91裸聊视频� when bears become habituated to people.

91裸聊视频淚f it was internal injuries (that killed the bear) our vet said there really is no veterinary care that would have been able to prevent her death,91裸聊视频� Stevens said.

91裸聊视频淕rizzly bears are considered a species of special concern. They91裸聊视频檙e a very slow-reproducing animal, so every female grizzly bear that91裸聊视频檚 killed in the park is a significant loss.91裸聊视频�

Yoho National Park is about 60 kilometres northwest of Banff, Alta.

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