Note: This article has been updated from the print version to clarify what happened in the incident.
A bear cub was put down by Parks Canada staff after it and its mother were struck by a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway in Mount Revelstoke National Park last week.
The incident happened on Wednesday, Aug. 5, when the female black bear and her cub were hit by a vehicle on the Trans-Canada near the Skunk Cabbage boardwalk, said Parks Canada spokesperson Jacolyn Daniluck in an e-mail.
The mother was killed in the crash, while the two-month old cub survived. RCMP and Parks Canada staff were informed of the incident and the bears were removed from the highway.
The surviving cub was then put down, "as it was only two months old and would not survive on its own," wrote Daniluck.
When asked why a conservation group wasn't approached to care for the cub, Daniluck said Parks Canada protocol was to "take the humane action of putting the bear cub down."
"It is always sad when this happens and as world leaders in conservation, Parks Canada works hard to protect wildlife inside the national parks, but a certain amount of wildlife mortality along transportation corridors is unavoidable," wrote Daniluck.
"We remind motorists to please pay special attention for wildlife when driving through the national parks."