Bears and Research
in the Canadian
Rockies

Bears and
People

 Bears and Roads

Roads and railways affect bears and other wildlife species in many ways. Habitat loss and alienation, mortality, and the physical and psychological barriers to movement that roads and railways create all have the potential to negatively impact bear populations. In remote areas, the construction of new roads can be especially detrimental to bear populations because they provide human access into bear habitat that would previously have been very difficult to penetrate.

This section presents findings from a variety of studies on the impacts of roads and railways on bears in the Canadian Rockies. The studies suggest that the many impacts of the Trans-Canada Highway make it a road of special concern in the region. This section also highlights some of the steps that have been taken to attempt to reduce or “mitigate” the number and extent of road and railway impacts, and further recommendations for improvement.

• Roads and Habitat Use
• Roads, Railways and Bear Mortality
• Roads and Railways as Barriers to Bear Movements
• Mitigation: Reducing the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Bears
• Footnotes and Other Sources Cited