Wildlife

A wide variety of mammals are found in the park, including caribou, muskoxen, grizzly bears, wolves, red foxes, wolverines, arctic ground squirrels and collared lemmings. The park encompasses most of the core calving, and post-calving grounds of the Bluenose West caribou herd. In mid-June, the caribou return to the park to give birth.

Tuktut Nogait is a major breeding and nesting ground for a wide variety of migratory birds. Raptors such as peregrine falcons, rough legged hawks, gyrfalcons and golden eagles nest along the steep walls of the river canyons. Other notable bird species include: tundra swans, sandhill cranes, lapland longspurs, horned larks, jaegers, golden plovers, and both arctic and red throated loons. For a list of birds that are frequently observed in this region of the western Arctic, click here.

Mammals and birds are most concentrated along the park's river corridors. The park's waters are home to arctic char, grayling, lake trout and whitefish. The Hornaday River supports an important subsistence fishery of arctic char for the residents of Paulatuk.