Michipicoten caribou airlift

A dramatic airlift of caribou from the Michipicoten Island herd by MNRF staff and contractors ran from January 13 to 15. The goal is to save the island’s caribou herd, which has been devastated by wolves.

The herd, which once numbered near 700, has been under siege by the predators since the winter of 2013/2014. That’s when a rare ice bridge allowed a pack of four wolves from the mainland to cross 15 kilometres of ice to the island, which lies approximately 65 kilometres southwest of Wawa, on Lake Superior.

Michipicoten First Nations intel

According to MNRF estimates, the herd had 90 animals by late fall of 2017; Michipicoten First Nations spokespeople suggest 20 to 30. A net-gun crew in a light helicopter captured eight cows and one bull, which were transported by a heavier twin-engine helicopter to the Slate Islands, just south of Terrace Bay, about 130 kilometres away. It’s hoped that the rescued caribou herd will rebuild their numbers there.

MNRF Senior Media Relations Officer, Jolanta Kowalski, said the operation ended late on the 15th because some members of the project had prior commitments. Asked if the operation was finished, she said, “There will be a debriefing and review. The next steps have not yet been decided.”

A team of MNRF staff, aviation contractors, and licensed veterinarians moved the caribou.
“There are no plans at this time to relocate any wolves from Michipicoten Island Provincial Park."

Wolf population monitored

The ministry will continue to assess the wolf population through radio collars and trail-camera data,” said MNRF Assistant Media Relations Officer Maimoona Dinani.

Dinani added, “The final number of caribou moved to the Slate Islands will help support the viability of caribou in the coastal range. Moving forward, we will continue to engage with the public on broader caribou management approaches in the area.”

Michipicoten First Nation Chief, Patricia Tangie, has criticized the MNRF for not moving the animals sooner. They had requested a non-lethal removal of wolves as early as April 2017 — an option which the MNRF ruled out in November of 2017, according to the CBC.

Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Biologist Mark Ryckman said, “This wasn’t the only option the MNRF had, and it’s still unclear why this option was chosen over other options. They’re spending a lot of tax dollars to move these animals to the Slate Islands but there’s nothing to prevent the same thing from happening there.”

Originally published in the Ontario OUT of DOORS 2018 Fishing Annual

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