Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut

Purpose

The Department of Environment and the Government of Nunavut will conduct a telemetry study on wolves with tracking collars within both the Qamanirjuaq (migratory) and Northeast Mainland (tundra wintering) caribou ecotypes and annual ranges, in order to understand wolf movements within and between caribou herds, predator-prey interaction, demography (survival and recruitment) and seasonal cycles in predatory behavior. These management activities will assess whether the relative stability of the Qamanirjuaq herd can be correlated to the more intensive wolf harvest measures undertaken on this herds’ range and whether these removal measures will have a biologically positive or negative effect on the long- term health, productivity, and abundance of both the Qamanirjuaq herd and the wolf populations, the latter being a key-stone species in wildlife ecosystems.