Management Partners Publish First NWT Progress Reports on Bats and Barren-ground Caribou
Press Release
YELLOWKNIFE (April 9, 2026) – Two new reports highlight actions taken over the last five years to support the management of bats and the recovery of barren-ground caribou in the Northwest Territories (NWT).
The Progress Report on the Management of Bats in the Northwest Territories (2021-2025) and the Progress Report on the Recovery of Barren-ground Caribou in the Northwest Territories (2021-2025) were released today by the Conference of Management Authorities.
Progress reporting is required every five years for species listed under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act.
These are the first progress reports for bats and barren-ground caribou in the NWT.
Progress Report on Bats
This report details key actions taken to implement the Management Plan for Bats in the Northwest Territories, including deployment of acoustic bat detectors to monitor bats across the NWT; ongoing swabbing/testing for the presence of white-nose syndrome; surveys to investigate population health, distribution and important habitat; protocols to reduce the spread of pathogens and disease; best practices to prevent unnecessary human-caused harm to bats; and efforts to increase awareness and appreciation of NWT bats.
The progress report covers all bat species in the NWT, including the two species currently listed as at-risk in the NWT. Little brown myotis and northern myotis live in the NWT year-round. The biggest threat they face is from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that affects hibernating bats. White-nose syndrome has not yet reached the NWT, but it is getting close. Reducing other threats supports resilient bat populations and gives them the best chance of persisting during and after the arrival of white-nose syndrome.
Little brown myotis and northern myotis are listed as Special Concern in the NWT. Both species are scheduled for reassessment by the NWT Species at Risk Committee in 2027.
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