Nanuk of the Torngats: Human–Polar Bear Interactions in the Torngat Mountains National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Abstract

Visitors to Canada's newest national park, Torngat Mountains National Park (TMNP), currently consist of reporters, researchers, tourists, and local Inuit from both Nunatsiavut in northern Labrador and Nunavik in northern Quebec. The national park features spectacular scenery and several types of charismatic mega-fauna, including caribou, whales, and polar bears. Isolated and difficult to access, the park's current approach to managing human–bear interactions, the backbone of which is trained Inuit guides and bear-monitors, has been quite effective. However, as traditional activities by Inuit, and the number of visitors and types of tourists to the area increases, there may be a need by the park management to re-examine current polar bear management strategies.