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Adapted from: Government of NWT (2018)
Caribou have long been vital to the survival of Indigenous peoples in the north; the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis.
Read moreThreats
Reasons for the drop in caribou populations are complicated. There is still some disagreement among scientific and Indigenous experts as to which factors are most important.
Management
It is often said that forms of wildlife management are mostly not about managing the animals, but about managing people. Some Indigenous peoples find it disrespectful to even talk about managing caribou. In that spirit, this section is largely about managing human interventions that affect caribou.
News and resources
Recently added resources
The Candid Caribou Project
A 3':21" video explaining research being done with trail cameras in Wapusk National Park. The trail cameras are helping to monitor the abundance and behaviours of the Cape Churchill caribou herd. The videos gives a breif overview of the project, and some messages about the importance of caribou at the end.
(2023)
Boreal and Peary caribou listed for another 10 years on the NWT List of Species at Risk
A news release from the Conference of Management Authorities (the group of wildlife co-management boards and governments that share management responsibility for the conservation and recovery of species at risk in the NWT) announcing that Peary and boreal caribou will be described as 'threatened" for another 10 year under the NWT Species at Risk Act. A recovery strategy for boreal caribou in the NWT was adopted in 2017, and the NWT partners agreed to adopt the federal recovery stratgy for Peary Caribou in 2022. An assessment of "threatened" in the NWT means the species are likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to their extirpation or extinction.
(2023)