Land Animals of Nunavut

The polar bear is the largest land carnivore and an iconic symbol of the Arctic. Nunavut is home to approximately two-thirds of the world's polar bear population, distributed across 13 subpopulations.

Caribou are central to Inuit culture and survival, providing food, clothing, and tools for thousands of years. The barren-ground population was assessed as Threatened in 2016, with multiple herds experiencing significant declines.

The Arctic fox is perfectly adapted to the harsh Arctic environment, with the warmest fur of any mammal. Their fur changes from white in winter to brown or grey in summer for seasonal camouflage.

Muskoxen are prehistoric survivors, having lived alongside woolly mammoths. Their qiviut (underwool) is one of the warmest and most valuable natural fibers in the world, eight times warmer than sheep wool.

The Arctic wolf is a subspecies of grey wolf adapted to the High Arctic. They are less fearful of humans than other wolves due to limited contact with people in their remote habitat.

Arctic hares are the largest hares in North America and are well-adapted to the extreme cold. Recent research documented long-distance movements on Ellesmere Island.