When working on the White Pass a few years ago - the first train up the hill in the morning, we would see bears on the track, they seemed to try and outrun the loco - running at about 12 - 15 mph.
At the very last second, right under the front of the loco they would bail off, we never hit one.
Some morning's I'd hitch a ride up the hill on a speeder to take measurements or images. Standing in the bush trackside in the middle of nowhere, I never saw a single bear.
I'd then stand trackside and flag down a train heading back to town. They would stop and pick me up. "Seen any bears"? I'd ask. "Yes on the way up" was the usual reply.
They just vanished
TH