See also:

Road Traffic - YT
 
Road Traffic - NWT
 
Snow Depths - Eagle Plains
 
Porcupine Caribou Herd Size
 
Peel River ice bridge

Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

What is happening?

• This graph shows the number of caribou and moose that have been killed accidentally by vehicles travelling on the Yukon portion of the Dempster Highway.
• The peak in 1997 includes 13 caribou killed at Kilometre 305. There were five caribou killed at KM 358 in 1990 and five killed at KM 342 in 1991.

Why is it happening?

• The Dempster Highway cuts across the winter range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd and most of these caribou-vehicle collisions occur in the winter. Along some sections of the highway deep snowbanks on the side of the road may contribute to these accidents.

Why is it important?

• The Dempster Highway travels across the northern Yukon and through many different wildlife habitats. Increased traffic might lead to disruptions in animal movements and increased mortality from road-kills. Because the road crosses the winter range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, an increase in winter traffic would be a concern for management and protection of caribou.

Technical Notes

• These data were obtained from the Dawson Conservation Officer's office (Yukon Government - Department of the Environment).