OUR STORY
Caribou Patrol is an Indigenous-led stewardship program that promotes caribou conservation within AWN's traditional territory.
Highway 40 is Alberta's deadliest highway for caribou. What do we do?
- Conduct road patrols during critical times of the year to reduce the potential of caribou mortalities by vehicle collision (seasonal migrations in the spring and fall, calving)
- Collect wildlife information (including sightings of alternate prey, predators, and other species at risk)
- Enhance awareness through education and outreach (through in-person or online classroom presentations, workshops, attending public festivals, etc)
- Increase public safety by providing the public with wildlife roadsharing information and tips.
https://wildliferoadsharing.tirf.ca/
In 2012, AWN started this grassroots program in response to the declining caribou herd populations in west-central Alberta. It is a collaborative effort with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Foothills Landscape Management Forum (forestry and energy sector companies), the Government of Alberta, and fRI Research.
Every caribou counts
Every year, including during hunting season, there are plenty of exciting wildlife sightings. Hunting has long been a favourite past time of many Albertans and it’s also one of the cornerstones of traditional Indigenous culture and way of life. Historically, caribou have been hunted in this area. However, caribou herd populations in the Grande Cache area have drastically decreased to less than 300 animals across four herds. Although they have the legal right to hunt caribou, the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation voluntarily stopped harvesting caribou in the early 1970’s in support of conserving what animals are left. Thank you to everyone for following correct hunting protocols for the area and for your support of the Caribou Patrol Program.
For more information, please contact us at info@cariboupatrol.ca.
To report a poacher, call 1-800-642-3800.