March 2005

Government of Canada
Parks Canada Agency
National Parks

Wapusk National Park of Canada

For more than 30 years research has been on-going on the land that is now Wapusk National Park. Located 45 km south of Churchill, Manitoba, the 11,475 km² national park is most famous for the Western Hudson Bay polar bear population. The 10-member Wapusk Management Board supports all research that is carried out in the park. Since the establishment of the park in 1996, the Board has supported various types of research including that conducted by Parks Canada, other government departments, individuals and universities. Subjects range from polar bears to geese, lichens and cultural resources.

During the 2004 field season, a Canadian Wildlife Service research scientist and his team recorded a bear of near record size in the park. Weighing in at an estimated 767 kilograms, it was apparent that the 18 year old male bear had experienced a great hunting season the previous winter. It was reported that the majority of bears in the population were healthy with plenty of body fat to get them through the summer.

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