BANFF, AB; OCTOBER 30, 2013 -- Grizzly bear No. 130, one of three bears who has visited a test site, reacts to the electromat after being drawn in by bait. Second in a series of 3. (Photo courtesy Parks Canada for the Calgary Herald)
BANFF NATIONAL PARK — A grizzly bear smells a carcass, either a beaver or an elk, walks up to the mocked-up train tracks and steps onto an electrified mat. Shocked, it retreats.
Not only that, the bear appears to have learned an important lesson that could save its life.It’s a scenario that has happened several times in the past year, when Parks Canada started a pilot study at two test sites built to mimic a fenced railway line.
The so-called ‘electromats’ were placed at the fence openings....
Since 2007, the railway has become the most common threat to bears in Banff National Park — with a total of 13 grizzlies killed by trains.
