Whitehorse, YT–Yukon Wildlife Preserve

We went to see the last place on my “list of things to see & do in Whitehorse”, and that was to visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.


According to the website:
“The Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a unique wildlife viewing property featuring 13 species of northern Canadian mammals in their natural environment. Encompassing over 700 acres with various natural habitats, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve offers unparalleled wildlife viewing and photo opportunities”.

Begun in the late 1960s, as a wildlife refuge of most northern species of hoofed animals. (Caribou, Elk, Mountain Goats, Moose, Mule Deer, Muskoxen, Dall Sheep and Stone Sheep). Over the years, foxes (red & silver) have been added, along with a lynx.  They also bred indigenous species of falcons and raised other orphaned mammals.

When the original owners decided to retire and put the property and animals up for sale., many locals feared its loss and looked for a way to turn this into a public facility. A  group of individuals started the Friends of the Yukon Wildlife Preserve Society.  The Board of Directors of the Society comprised a group with expertise in business, economics, administration, wildlife research, education, computer technology and wildlife filming.  They were successful in convincing government of the value of this facility, but unsuccessful in encouraging their financial support. Eventually, Yukon Territorial Government decided to purchase the assets of the Yukon Wildlife Preserve in order to preserve the lands, infrastructure and its resident breeding groups of northern species of wildlife.While we were there a bus full of kids were having a great time playing on the hills overlooking the caribou & moose participating in their Kids Program.
Here’s a few pics: (Note: these are just a few of the wildlife that were within the penned off areas we viewed. With over 700 acres,there is lots of space yet they are stringent keeping males/females separated to keep populations down.) They have a lot of rescue animals & are constantly expanding the various habitats to keep the ecosystems in balance.

Elk and some horns they’ve shed over the years

Dall & Stone Sheep are considered “thin horned” in comparison to

the “Big Horns”

See the little “arctic ground squirrel” (I thought it was a prairie dog

Female Caribou

This is one of the Lynx they rescued

Wooly looking Mountain Goats

This is an Arctic Fox curled up & napping in the sun

This one is enjoying the shade

(They also had a 3-legged Silver Fox that was a rescue, but I couldn’t get a good pic)

These are the muskoxen, kin to the wooly mammoth

That’s a good sampling of what we saw. I’m anxious to get further “up the road” & see them in the wild, but it’s nice to see there are some folks that care enough to be involved in their rescue.


The  part for the camper  came in, (SPECIAL THANKS TO CHARLIE MEADE)  so we’re still on schedule to head out on Wednesday. (Laundry tomorrow uggh!)


That’s it for today. Have a good one everybody!




RV Riding is seeing wildlife on the roads and off