In July 2024, members of the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation, Caribou Patrol staff, and the Foothills Landscape Management Forum met up with members of the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society, Chief Roland Willson of West Moberly First Nations, and members of the Saulteau First Nations to tour their caribou maternal pen.
The maternity pen is 25 acres of natural caribou habitat surrounded by a 12’ tall fence as well as two electric fences to keep predators out. Veterinarians gather pregnant female caribou each spring to give birth inside the safety of the fence.
Guardians from the Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations monitor the caribou inside the pen and patrol the outside of the fence for predators daily while the caribou and their young are in the pen. Once the youngest calf is 8 weeks old, the calves
and their mothers are released back into the wild where the young caribou have a higher chance of survival. While inside the pen, human interactions are kept at an absolute minimum to ensure that the caribou remain wild and stress free. Very few people are allowed inside the pen, and those who are can only whisper!
In the 10 years since the maternity penning project began the population of the Klinse-Za caribou herd has grown from only 16 animals to over 150.
Credits to Amanda Kott, Garry McDonald, Stephanie Leonard, Chantelle Bambrick, and Naomi Owens-Beek for text and photo contributions.
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