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Caribou in the NWT

Caribou have always been important to the people of the NWT and play an important role in the traditional, cultural and spiritual lives of Aboriginal residents. Their relationship extends back about 7,000 years. Many people still rely on caribou as their main food source and caribou hides are still traditionally tanned and used for clothing such as footwear, gloves and jackets.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is responsible for the management, habitat preservation and sustainable use of all caribou in the NWT.

The Alberta Research Council (ARC) was commissioned by the Government of the Northwest Territories to independently review the GNWT's caribou research programs and make recommendations. ENR is reviewing the recommendations and working with its co-management partners to assess the implications of the recommendations to determine priorities for improved moitoring and management of barren-ground caribou in the NWT.

The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources accepted the findings of the independent peer review and recommendations in the report. The GNWT Management Response to the Alberta Research Council's report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on May 28, 2009.

Barren-ground Caribou Management in the Northwest Territories: An Independent Peer Review

GNWT Management Response - Barren-ground Caribou Management in the NWT

A Review of Concerns Expressed by Outfitters Between 2003 and 2007 About the Bathurst and Ahiak Herds

Survey Confirms Continued Decline in Bathurst Caribou Herd - September 24, 2009

Joint Proposal on Caribou Management Actions in Wek'eezhii

Some people believe the word "caribou" was derived from the Micmac "xalibu" which means "the pawer". Inuvialuit and Inuit call the caribou "tuktu" or "tuktuk", Chipewyan Indians say "et-then", Dogrib people refer to them as "ek-wo", the Gwich’in say “Vadzaih” and to the Slavey Indians the caribou are "ekwe". Caribou are circumpolar, found in Russia, Scandinavia, Greenland and across arctic North America.

There are four subspecies of caribou found in the NWT:

Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) have the widest distribution. They range over the taiga forests and tundra of the NWT mainland. Barren-ground caribou are by far the most abundant subspecies in the NWT and have the greatest cultural and economic importance. Click here for the Barren-ground Caribou Management Strategy
Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are divided into two distinct populations in the NWT: Boreal and Northern Mountain. Northern Mountain caribou gather in groups that can number in the thousands during late summer to late spring, have distinct seasonal migrations, and live in the Mackenzie Mountains. Boreal caribou live in the forests east of the Mackenzie Mountains, tend to live in small groups, prefer to stay within the forest most of the year, and do not migrate.
Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) / Dolphin-Union Caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus x pearyi) range throughout the Arctic Archipelago.
Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) are found mainly in Alaska and Yukon, but some caribou from the Porcupine herd winter in the northwest corner of the NWT.