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| Natural Region 8 |
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WILDLIFE:
Golden Eagle
© Parks Canada |
Large mammals include grizzly bear, black bear, woodland caribou, Dall's sheep , mountain goat, moose, wolf, wolverine, lynx and many more. Wood bison have been recently re-established in the Liard Valley . The rare trumpeter swan breeds in this region. Because of the diversity of habitats - from spruce forests to alpine tundra - both arctic and temperate species thrive here. |
STATUS OF NATIONAL PARKS:
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Nahanni National Park Reserve (4,765 km2) represents this natural region. One of Canada's great wild rivers, the South Nahanni, rushes through this World Heritage Site. Some of the deepest river canyons in the world, spectacular mountains, bizarre karstlands, and a wealth of wildlife give this park its marvellous and unique character. |
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Natural Region 8
© Parks Canada |
Virginia Falls, more than twice the height of Niagara, is the best-known feature of the park. Nahanni provides critical habitat for significant wildlife species such as Dall's sheep, black and grizzly bear, wolf, golden eagle, peregrine falcon and trumpeter swan.
Canoeing the South Nahanni,
a Candian Heritage River
© Parks Canada |
Established in 1976, Nahanni is scheduled as a National Park Reserve under the National Parks Act. Outstanding Aboriginal issues must be resolved by government before Nahanni can be proclaimed as a national park. |
Expansion of present boundaries should be considered in the future to improve natural theme representation, encompass additional visitor opportunities, and to help protect the ecological integrity of the park reserve. For example, important Dall's sheep habitat is currently excluded from the park reserve. Portions of the Nahanni Karst, Tlogotsho Plateau and Ragged Range areas have been identified for future study.
National Parks System Plan, 3rd Edition