Trains Kill Two Grizzly Cubs Near Whitefish

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Two grizzly bear cubs killed by a train near Trego were discovered Oct. 15, 2019.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Two grizzly bear cubs were killed by a train northwest of Whitefish. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) discovered the carcasses Tuesday.

Trains have now killed more grizzlies in 2019 than any year on record.

FWP notified the U.S. Forest Service about the carcasses along a BNSF railway near Trego. The agency also investigated the incident, but could not determine when the cubs were killed.

FWP was also unable to locate the mother of the cubs nearby.

There have been 44 grizzly bear mortalities (deaths or removals from the ecosystem) so far this year in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Including the two cubs found Tuesday, eight of those mortalities were caused by trains.

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Aaron graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 2015 after interning at Minnesota Public Radio. He landed his first reporting gig in Wrangell, Alaska where he enjoyed the remote Alaskan lifestyle and eventually moved back to the road system as the KBBI News Director in Homer, Alaska. He joined the MTPR team in 2019. Aaron now reports on all things in northwest Montana and statewide health care.