Key Takeaways:
- Wildlife collisions with trains are a significant issue in British Columbia, with hundreds of animals killed or injured each year.
- The problem is particularly pronounced in areas with high concentrations of wildlife, such as the Elk Valley.
- Scientists and advocates are calling for more complete and accessible data on wildlife collisions to help identify areas where mitigation efforts can be targeted.
- Potential solutions to reduce wildlife collisions include slowing down trains in high-risk areas, using warning systems to alert animals of approaching trains, and clearing vegetation along tracks.
- The issue has cultural impacts on Indigenous communities, who have a deep connection to the land and the animals that inhabit it.
Introduction to Wildlife Collisions
The collision of wildlife with trains is a devastating issue that affects not only the animals involved but also the people who witness it. Jim Atkinson, a retired locomotive engineer, recounts the helpless feeling of hitting an animal with a train. Despite his best efforts to avoid such incidents, he has had his share of collisions with wildlife, including elk, deer, and bears, during his career spanning from 1974 to his retirement. The experience of hitting an animal is traumatic, and the memory of it stays with the engineer long after the incident. Atkinson’s story highlights the need for a solution to this problem, which is not only a concern for wildlife but also for the people who operate the trains.
The Scope of the Problem
Wildlife scientists point out that railways are natural animal corridors, offering clear and easy movement for animals. However, the average freight train needs at least two kilometers to stop, making it impossible to avoid collisions if animals don’t move off the tracks. The Narwhal, in partnership with the CBC, obtained documents through freedom of information requests to the B.C. government, featuring hundreds of reports about collisions between wildlife and trains in B.C. from Canada’s two biggest railways, CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The data shows that CPKC reported no less than 182 animals were killed and injured by trains in the Kootenay region of B.C. in 2022 and 2023, including at least 90 elk, 49 deer, 18 black bears, and eight grizzlies.
Inconsistencies in Data
However, The Narwhal discovered inconsistencies and gaps in the data, making it difficult to understand the full scope of the issue. Scientists and advocates say that if the information was more complete and accessible, it would help them work with railways to reduce the number of animals killed in areas where collisions happen most often. Clayton Lamb, a scientist with Biodiversity Pathways, has been tracking wildlife in B.C.’s Elk Valley since 2013 and notes that almost half of all reported railway collisions on grizzly bears in British Columbia occur in this region. The lack of accurate data hinders efforts to develop effective mitigation strategies and highlights the need for improved data collection and sharing.
Solutions to Reduce Collisions
Colleen St. Clair, a biologist at the University of Alberta, suggests that slowing down trains in areas where wildlife collisions are known to occur could make a significant difference. She also developed a warning system to alert animals that trains are coming, which was tested in Banff National Park in 2017. The device, which is about the size of a shoebox, sticks to the train tracks and sets off an alarm with flashing lights when a train is approaching. The results showed that smaller animals cleared the track 3.5 seconds faster, while larger animals cleared the track about 6.5 seconds faster with the warning. This technology has the potential to reduce wildlife collisions, but its implementation would require a concerted effort from railway companies and regulatory bodies.
Cultural Impacts
The issue of wildlife collisions with trains also has cultural impacts on Indigenous communities. Kyle Shottanana, an elected councillor of the Yaqit a·knuqi’it First Nation, notes that the loss of animals has cultural significance for his nation. The Ktunaxa Nation has a deep connection to the land and the animals that inhabit it, and the destruction of wildlife affects their way of life. Shottanana would like to see a reduction in the number of animals killed by trains and believes that sharing the details of when and where collisions happen could help. The cultural implications of wildlife collisions highlight the need for a collaborative approach to addressing this issue, one that involves not only railway companies and regulatory bodies but also Indigenous communities and other stakeholders.
Conclusion
The issue of wildlife collisions with trains is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted solution. By working together, we can reduce the number of animals killed and injured by trains, and mitigate the cultural impacts on Indigenous communities. This can be achieved by improving data collection and sharing, implementing warning systems, and slowing down trains in high-risk areas. Ultimately, it will require a broad societal agreement that wildlife deaths by train are unacceptable, and a commitment to finding cost-effective solutions to reduce collisions. By taking a collaborative and proactive approach, we can make a significant difference in reducing the number of wildlife collisions with trains and promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife.