Porcupine Caribou herd river crossing. Photo: Peter Mather
Canada's varied landscape is matched by its plethora of wildlife. From charismatic megafauna like polar bears, caribou, moose and cougars to overlooked and endangered species like the blue racer snake or the sage thrasher, Canada is a veritable paradise for wildlife. But its wildlife is frequently pushed to or past the point of local extinction by human activities, particularly those that have broad impacts on habitat such as forestry, oilsands development, mining and urban sprawl.
Wide-ranging species such as woodland and mountain caribou are especially sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation, leading to ongoing tension between industry, government and environmentalists over how to best protect the species. In many cases, habitat protection is foregone in favour of more immediate solutions such as wolf culls, which have been shown to have mixed results.
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