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 Columbia害羞草研究所檚 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 Nakoda害羞草研究所檚 death on Monday, four days after the crashes that ultimately claimed her life and those of her cubs.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 actually devastated the team that was so deeply invested in really trying to prevent this outcome,害羞草研究所� Stevens told a news briefing.

She called for better highway awareness in parks.

害羞草研究所淪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.害羞草研究所�

Stevens said that on Thursday morning, Nakoda害羞草研究所檚 two cubs were struck by a vehicle and killed on the highway.

About 12 hours later, Nakoda was struck, too, between the Lake O害羞草研究所橦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 害羞草研究所渙ptimistic害羞草研究所� the bear would survive as they watched her climb over the fence and head toward the forest with 害羞草研究所渘o apparent injuries other than a limp.害羞草研究所�

But she said the animal was confirmed dead on Saturday when a 害羞草研究所渕ortality signal害羞草研究所� was sent from the bear害羞草研究所檚 GPS tracking collar.

Stevens said the deaths were 害羞草研究所渄evastating害羞草研究所� for the team, who had been tracki ng Nakoda for about two years.

害羞草研究所淪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,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淛ust weeks ago, everyone in our office were actually celebrating her emergence from the den with two new cubs.害羞草研究所�

She said such incidents can be an 害羞草研究所渦nfortunate reality害羞草研究所� when bears become habituated to people.

害羞草研究所淚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,害羞草研究所� Stevens said.

害羞草研究所淕rizzly bears are considered a species of special concern. They害羞草研究所檙e a very slow-reproducing animal, so every female grizzly bear that害羞草研究所檚 killed in the park is a significant loss.害羞草研究所�

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

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