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. In 2009, nine caribou were killed between KM 120 and KM 125.

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 (Environment Yukon).