Escape to the Wild in Yukon
Nathan CollinsEscape to the Wild, is a new three-part series on Channel 4 with presenter, Jimmy Doherty.
In the second episode (aired Thursday, 9th February) Jimmy travelled to the wilderness of Canada to meet former actress Louise and ex-office worker Neil, who swapped London for a log cabin in the Yukon. This would seem like the perfect place to get some peace and quiet. But with no electricity or running water, Jimmy soon learns the harsh realities of living so far off-grid as he helps the couple prepare for winter, hunting moose and grouse, and keeping up their wood supplies. Was it worth the threat of cabin fever and grizzly bears?
Further information on the new series of Escape to the Wild can be found at: www.channel4.com/programmes/escape-to-the-wild
Missed it? Watch it here: www.channel4.com/programmes/catchup
About the Yukon
Sitting in the northwest corner of Canada, adjacent to the US state of Alaska, Yukon is one of North America’s most impressive wilderness destinations. If you have an adventurer’s spirit, a love of nature and a passion for exploration, Yukon should be at the top of your holiday destination list. It is not a choice for the feint-hearted, but it is a voyage of discovery with very rich rewards.
If you’re looking for a wildlife holiday, where better than one of the wildest places in the world to see caribou, moose, bears, sheep, birds and hundreds of other northern species? Close to 80 percent of the Yukon remains pristine wilderness with just over 10 per cent of the territory fully protected – it has three national parks, six territorial parks and four Canadian Heritage Rivers. Roughly the size of France at 186,661 square miles, the Yukon is home to more than 165,000 caribou, 70,000 moose, 22,000 mountain sheep, 7,000 grizzly bears, 10,000 black bears and 250 species of birds… and only 36,000 humans! In the Yukon, people are outnumbered by moose by 2 to 1!
Bears: All three North American bears: Black, Grizzly and Polar can be found in the Yukon, but you are much more likely to see a Black Bear than a Grizzly Bear. Black Bears live in forested areas, whereas Grizzly Bears range from southern forested areas and across the tundra to the Arctic Ocean. Polar Bears are only seen on the North Slope and Herschel Island. The Yukon grizzly bear population is one of Canada’s largest and most stable in North America (30% of Canada’s grizzlies can be found in the Yukon) and the Alsek River corridor in Kluane National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site has been designated a special preservation area. Many visitors to the Yukon spot bears on the side of the road, while hiking and paddling, or even from the air. Shorter summers in the North mean that grizzlies must be as efficient as possible in preparing for their long winter hibernation. In the Yukon, grizzlies depend on thick crops of berries and seasonal runs of salmon to fatten up. In an autumn feeding frenzy, a grizzly can eat 200,000 berries in a single day!
Whether you’re an ardent birder or a casual wildlife watcher, the Yukon’s flyway comes alive as trumpeter swans, geese, sandhill cranes and other migratory birds travel to and from nesting grounds. Birders converge in the Yukon to search for species including harlequin duck, northern hawk owl, wandering tattler, gyrfalcon and three kinds of ptarmigan. The Yukon has some amazing migrations of wildlife and birds:
Trumpeter Swan Migration: Largest Trumpeter Swan Migration (March – May) in North America at approximately 3,000 birds, which is a miracle considering at one time less than 100 existed.
Sandhill Cranes: approximate 250,000 sandhill cranes return to the Yukon each summer en route to their breeding grounds in the Arctic.
Dempster Highway bird viewing: More than 160 species are found along the 750km Dempster Highway corridor which is the only public road in North America to cross the Arctic Circle. More than 100 nest along the highway and the Southern Ogilvies and Blackstone uplands are prime birding areas. The Ogilvie Mountains provide a home for several birds of prey, including species of eagles, falcons and owls. Ptarmigan are also seen here. Loons and many types of shorebirds inhabit the Peel plateau and the Mackenzie Delta.
Porcupine Caribou Herd: Yukon is home to approximately 130,000 – 150,000 caribou in one of North America’s last remaining large animal herds. The herd was nominated as one of the 7 wonders of Canada a few years ago.
Visitors are able to download a comprehensive guide on wildlife viewing at: www.env.gov.yk.ca/animals-habitat/wildlifeviewing.php
Tourism Yukon also have additional information on wildlife viewing at: travelyukon.com
The Yukon has three national parks, six territorial parks and four Canadian Heritage Rivers and with nearly 3,000 miles of all-weather and mostly paved road, the Yukon offers some of Canada’s most accessible wilderness, but civilization is never far away in one of the Yukon’s 10 communities and it also enjoys a vibrant culture filled with rich northern tradition and First Nation (native) customs and beliefs.
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