Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary
Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary is an area of land located in both the NWT and Nunavut. It was established in 1927 with the goal of conserving muskox populations and is 52,000 km2 making it the largest wildlife refuge in Canada. The area is only accessible by the Thelon river which flows through it. The area has no mineral exploration or development of any kind. Many animals call the area home including caribou, moose, wolves, grizzly bear, and numerous types of waterfowl. Even though the sanctuary is above the tree line, it is able to produce a mix of boreal forest, tundra and arctic riparian ecosystems. The initial development of the sanctuary was to protect and restore one of the two remaining muskox herd in Canada which it did, but also to conserve caribou populations and preserve ecological processes. The area is valued for being an untouched ecosystem.