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The government of the Northwest Territories has new population estimates for the Bathurst and Bluenose-East barren-ground caribou herds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Survey results from this year show an overall decline of both herds compared to recent years, although the 2025 estimate of the Bluenose-East herd is still larger than in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The newest data show an estimated 28,759 adult Bluenose-East caribou. That\u2019s down from the 39,525 counted in 2023. In 2021, officials counted only 23,202.<\/p>\n
For the Bathurst herd, the 2025 surveys counted about 3,609 adult caribou. That represents a decline of about 47 per cent over three years, down from 6,851 estimated in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis decline is concerning, given all the efforts of the [territorial government] and our co-management partners to reduce pressures on this herd through a range of management actions,\u201d the government of the Northwest Territories said in a news release Thursday.<\/p>\n
The estimates are based on calving ground surveys and herd composition surveys from June and October of this year. The territorial government said it would be meeting with Indigenous governments and other co-management partners to review these results and discuss next steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n