Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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The "oasis" section of the Thelon River, below Warden's Grove.
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| Location | Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada |
| Area | 52,000 square kilometres (20,077 sq mi) |
| Established | 1927 |
| Governing body | Nunavut Parks |
The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary is a huge protected area in Canada. It covers about 52,000 square kilometers (20,000 sq mi). This makes it the largest wildlife refuge in the country. It is even bigger than the country of Belgium!
This special place is in northern Canada's Arctic region. It sits north of the tree line, where trees usually stop growing. The sanctuary stretches across both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is located between the towns of Baker Lake and Yellowknife. The Thelon River flows through the sanctuary, giving it its name. The river valley has many different plants and animals. Because of this, it was called a "Biological Site of Universal Importance" in the 1960s.
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Protecting Wildlife in Thelon
The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 1927. It was first called the Thelon Game Sanctuary. Its main goal was to protect muskox populations. At first, it was about 39,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi) in size. In 1956, it was made even bigger to its current size.
Animals Living in Thelon
This sanctuary is home to many amazing animals. It protects the most northern moose known to live above the tree line. You can also find large herds of barren-ground caribou here. Other animals include the Arctic wolf, Arctic fox, and wolverine. Smaller creatures like the Arctic squirrel (called sicsic) also live here. You might even spot a barren ground grizzly bear or many types of waterfowl (birds that live near water).
The Thelon Oasis: A Special Place
There is a unique part of the sanctuary called the "Thelon Oasis." This area is along the Thelon River valley. It is special because it has thick groves of white spruce trees. This is unusual because it is north of the Arctic tree line.
Plants of the Oasis
Besides spruce trees, the oasis has other plants not usually found so far north. These include raspberry, currant, and columbine plants. There are also tall thickets of dwarf willow and tag alder. Scientists think this happens because of good soil and warmer summer temperatures. The area also does not have large lakes, which helps keep it warmer.
People of the Thelon Sanctuary
The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary is also the traditional home of the Akilinirmiut. These are Inuit people from the Akiliniq area. This hilly region is near Beverly Lake, which the Inuit call Tipjalik. Beverly Lake is a wide part of the Thelon River. It marks where the spruce tree groves end within the sanctuary.
Hunting Rules
Even though the sanctuary has many animals, it is a hunting-free zone. This means hunting is not allowed inside the sanctuary. The Inuit people from Baker Lake support this rule.
Explorer John Hornby
If you want to learn more about the history of the sanctuary, you might look into British explorer John Hornby. He explored this area in the early 1900s.
