The owner of a remote hunting lodge in northern Manitoba, Nick Scigliano, has called for answers after finding a “mass slaughter” of caribou and severe property damage at his lodge last month. During an April 11 inspection of the site, about 30 kilometers south of the Manitoba-Nunavut border, Scigliano discovered numerous caribou carcasses, including pregnant cows and fetuses, along with significant damage to the lodge.
Scigliano returned to the lodge on April 18 with police and conservation officers to assess the situation further. He is now urging the authorities to restore “law and order” and take action against the individuals responsible, calling the incident a “wasteful” hunt. RCMP and conservation officers are investigating the property damage and potential waste of meat.
The Manitoba RCMP cautioned the public not to judge the situation based solely on circulating images of the dead animals, noting that the area’s isolation makes the investigation more complicated. Police suspect the hunters may have come from nearby First Nations communities but emphasized the difficulty of pinpointing individuals due to the vast distances involved.
The Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association condemned the killing of female caribou during the late winter months when cows are preparing to give birth, urging the province to implement stricter regulations on hunting practices. Local hunters, like Myron Cook from Barren Lands First Nation, stressed that such wasteful practices are unusual among Indigenous hunters, who traditionally harvest caribou with respect.
The Manitoba Wildlife Federation also expressed outrage at the waste, estimating that between 50 and 75 caribou carcasses were found, many with meat left behind. The federation is calling for stronger conservation measures to prevent further depletion of caribou populations.
As the RCMP continue their investigation, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew emphasized that those responsible for the slaughter will be held accountable. However, police have yet to determine if the hunters involved will face animal cruelty charges, as it remains unclear whether the caribou were killed for consumption or if the deaths were part of a senseless act of slaughter.
Source: Swifteradio.com
