Hungry cubs hitch a ride on the rails

Three black bear cubs have taken to riding the rails in Canada’s Rocky Mountains in search of an easy meal, a national park official said.

The cubs, weighing only about 4 pounds, have been pulled off trains twice after going about 12 miles. They and their mother were climbing onto stopped grain cars to eat, and when the train started, the cubs were too scared to jump off.

Officials said the practice is perilous for the bears, but returning them to mom is also a chore. “Of course they’re cute as all get out, but they’re little bundles of fury,” said parks official Hal Morrison. “Try to grab them by the scruff of the neck and you’ve got a handful of whirling, clawing dynamite.”