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Boreal mammals are increasingly threatened by human and natural disturbance, with these impacts disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities which rely on boreal wildlife. For example, the Little Red River Cree Nation near Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, relies on the at-risk wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) and other vital boreal mammals for food, spiritual, and ceremonial purposes. With a history of natural and human-caused disturbance within their territory, including the devastating 2023 Paskwa wildfire which destroyed communities and large portions of the landscape, it is increasingly important to understand post-disturbance habitat utilization by bison and other boreal wildlife.

This need is further underlined by the importance of understanding wood bison dispersal in a disturbed landscape, to continue management of diseases such as bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) and brucellosis (Brucella spp.) which threaten wood bison populations. So, in partnership with the Little Red River Cree Nation Lands Department and Environment and Climate Change Canada, this research aims to assess the distribution of two key wood bison herds within the Nation's territory and thereby inform disease management and conservation efforts. Additionally, we aim to understand post-disturbance distribution and habitat use of a variety of boreal mammal species to provide a grounded understanding of the impacts of disturbance on boreal mammal community assemblages.