Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, at 52000 square kilometres (20,077 sq mi), over twice the area of Belgium, is the largest wildlife refuge
in Canada. It is located in northern Canada
's Arctic
region, north of the tree line, straddling the Northwest Territories
and Nunavut
, halfway between Baker Lake
and Yellowknife, and bordered on the north between the Baillie River on the west and the Consul River at the east by the Back River
. It is the namesake of the Thelon River
, whose river valley is resplendent with boreal forest
biological diversity, hence its identification as a "Biological Site of Universal Importance" by the International Biological Program
(IBP) in the 1960s.
Established in 1927 as the Thelon Game Sanctuary to conserve muskox populations, its original size was 39000 square kilometres (15,058 sq mi). It was expanded in 1956 to its present size, and is home to the most northernly known moose
above the tree line. In addition, the wildlife sanctuary is home to Barren-ground Caribou
(Beverly and Bathurst herds), Arctic Wolf
, Arctic Fox
, wolverine
, Arctic squirrel (sicsic)
, barren ground grizzly bear
and waterfowl
.
The "Thelon Oasis" is a section of the wildlife sanctuary along the Thelon River valley between Warden Grove (the Thelon's confluence with Hanbury River) and Hornby Point. Even though it is north of the Arctic tree line, the area supports thick white spruce tree groves, raspberry
, currant, and columbine plants, along with tall alluvial
dwarf willow thickets and tag alder
. Scientists believe the causes of this unusual proliferation of plants more common to subarctic
areas include favorable fine-textured soils and climatic oasis effect, higher summer temperatures due to northward elevation fall and the absence of large lakes.
The wildlife sanctuary is also the ancestral home of Akilinirmiut, Inuit
of the Akiliniq, a hilly area by the shores of Beverly Lake (Tipjalik). While there are many lakes within the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, Beverly Lake is notable as the widening of the Thelon River at its northeastern border within the wildlife sanctuary, and the end of the spruce tree groves.
The wildlife sanctuary teems with game but is a hunting free zone, with support from the Inuit of Baker Lake.
A study of the history of the sanctuary would do well to include studying British explorer John Hornby
(1880–1927).
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
in Canada. It is located in northern Canada
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
's Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
region, north of the tree line, straddling the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
and Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, halfway between Baker Lake
Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake , is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located inland from Hudson Bay, it is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being the Canadian Arctic's sole inland community...
and Yellowknife, and bordered on the north between the Baillie River on the west and the Consul River at the east by the Back River
Back River
The Back River , is a river in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada...
. It is the namesake of the Thelon River
Thelon River
The Thelon River stretches across northern Canada. Its source is Whitefish Lake in the Northwest Territories, and it flows east to Baker Lake in Nunavut. The Thelon ultimately drains into Hudson Bay at Chesterfield Inlet.-Geography:...
, whose river valley is resplendent with boreal forest
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
biological diversity, hence its identification as a "Biological Site of Universal Importance" by the International Biological Program
International Biological Program
The International Biological Program was an effort between 1964 and 1974 to coordinate large-scale ecological and environmental studies...
(IBP) in the 1960s.
Established in 1927 as the Thelon Game Sanctuary to conserve muskox populations, its original size was 39000 square kilometres (15,058 sq mi). It was expanded in 1956 to its present size, and is home to the most northernly known moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
above the tree line. In addition, the wildlife sanctuary is home to Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou is a subspecies of the caribou that is found mainly in the Canadian territories Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and western Greenland. It sometimes includes the similar porcupine caribou, in which case the barren-ground caribou also is found in Alaska...
(Beverly and Bathurst herds), Arctic Wolf
Arctic Wolf
The Arctic Wolf , also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a mammal of the family Canidae. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland....
, Arctic Fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
, wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
, Arctic squirrel (sicsic)
Arctic Ground Squirrel
The Arctic ground squirrel is a species of ground squirrel native to the Arctic.-Subspecies:Listed alphabetically.*S. p. ablusus Osgood, 1903...
, barren ground grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
and waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
.
The "Thelon Oasis" is a section of the wildlife sanctuary along the Thelon River valley between Warden Grove (the Thelon's confluence with Hanbury River) and Hornby Point. Even though it is north of the Arctic tree line, the area supports thick white spruce tree groves, raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, currant, and columbine plants, along with tall alluvial
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
dwarf willow thickets and tag alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
. Scientists believe the causes of this unusual proliferation of plants more common to subarctic
Subarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
areas include favorable fine-textured soils and climatic oasis effect, higher summer temperatures due to northward elevation fall and the absence of large lakes.
The wildlife sanctuary is also the ancestral home of Akilinirmiut, Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
of the Akiliniq, a hilly area by the shores of Beverly Lake (Tipjalik). While there are many lakes within the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, Beverly Lake is notable as the widening of the Thelon River at its northeastern border within the wildlife sanctuary, and the end of the spruce tree groves.
The wildlife sanctuary teems with game but is a hunting free zone, with support from the Inuit of Baker Lake.
A study of the history of the sanctuary would do well to include studying British explorer John Hornby
John Hornby
John Hornby was an English explorer best known for his expeditions in the Arctic region, notably in the "barren lands" in the Northwest Territory of Canada...
(1880–1927).
Videography
- LaRose, John. The Place Where God Began The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, a Northern Oasis. [Ottawa, Ont.]: Summerhill Entertainment, 2000.
External links
- Official web site
- Map1, Map2
- Historical Timeline of the Northwest Territories 1928 - William Hoare and the Thelon Game Sanctuary, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage CentrePrince of Wales Northern Heritage CentreThe Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is the Government of the Northwest Territories' museum and archives. Located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, the PWNHC acquires and manages objects and archival materials that represent the cultures and history of the Northwest...