A Loving Photo Tribute to a Bear Named Nakoda, a Rare White Grizzly, Struck and Killed with Her Cubs by Motor Vehicles on Canada’s Mountain Park
Introduced by MALIK MERCHANT
As a subscriber to the Bear Report, I eagerly anticipate the weekly updates about the awe-inspiring bear sightings. These reports cover the picturesque Bow Valley, the serene residential areas at the Canmore Nordic Centre, and the breathtaking Kananaskis Country (including the roadside along Highway 40 and near the golf courses). Bears, a marvel of nature, are often spotted feeding on dandelions along highways, roads, and trails. Later, they add the vibrant colours of berries to their diet in the summer and autumn when the fruit is plentiful.
My personal encounters with bears (see photos on this page), particularly on Highway 40, have highlighted our shared responsibility for bear safety. Over the past two years, I’ve sighted almost 15 bears, mostly Grizzlies, surpassing the number I’ve seen in Banff and Jasper National Parks. With the Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country opening to cars on June 15, 2024, we anticipate more bear sightings. Our collective duty as drivers is to adhere to speed limits, enabling us to better control our cars and avoid potential accidents.
Returning to Calgary one late night, a black bear was by the roadside between exiting Banff National Park and Canmore. It was a stark reminder of the need for safer driving practices. As cars and trucks sped by, exceeding the posted 110 kph speed limit, I couldn’t help but worry about the animals that often cross the highway, especially outside the fenced area. The speeds at which the truckers drive, most of whom quickly overtake me when I am driving at 90 kph on Hwy 1 in the National Park, clearly indicate the need for change and stricter RCMP presence on the road.
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A bear named Nakoda was in the news a few days ago, but not for a good reason. The Bear Report notes in its June 13, 2024 edition:
“An unknown male grizzly bear, and a female grizzly bear and her two cubs were struck and killed by vehicles on the Trans Canada Highway in Yoho National Park [British Columbia]. This mother bear was a well-known white bear named Nakoda.”
The Bear Report provides access to a Youtube video entitled A Tribute to Nakoda – The White Grizzly of Canada’s Mountain Parks, courtesy of All in the Wild Photography. The video is a beautiful compilation of images of Jason Leo Bantle over the past 5 years of his work filming and photographing Nakoda, a rare white coloured grizzly bear.
“Nakoda,” notes Leo Bantle, “touched the hearts and hopes of many, at seven and half years old she had her first set of twin cubs. Shortly after emerging from their den the cubs were struck and killed on the Trans Canada Highway between Lake Louise, AB and Field, BC on June 6, 2024. Nakoda was struck very near the same location on the highway twelve hours later. She survived the initial impact but succumbed to her injuries a couple days later. She was pronounced deceased by Parks Canada on June 8, 2024.”
Writes Leo Bantle: “She [Nakoda] is a bear that leaves a legacy of inspiration to protect and conserve all the is beautiful, all that is wild.”
A Tribute to Nakoda by Jason Leo Bantle
Date posted: June 14, 2024.
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