Wildlife Slaughter and Devastating Vandalism Prompts American Lodge Owner to Call for Immediate Action from Government and Police
WINNIPEG, MB, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - After discovering a mass slaughter of caribou, including cows in the final stages of pregnancy, and catastrophic vandalism on his lands in Northern Canada, an American lodge owner is calling on the government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to restore law and order.
Nick Scigliano, owner of two lodge properties within Canada's Nueltin Lake Provincial Park, discovered the devastation during an April 11 th spring wellness inspection of his float plane dock and buildings which were forcibly entered, severely damaged, and stripped of valuable contents.
Further north at his Treeline Lodge, Scigliano witnessed dozens of dead caribou strewn across the snow, stained red with blood. Observation of several individuals, snowmobiles, and packed trails evidence that the lodge was being used as a slaughterhouse.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Scigliano said. "Snowmobiles were chasing caribou across the lake and there were piles of dead animals everywhere."
Fearing potential conflict, Scigliano chose not to land and immediately traveled to the City of Thompson and reported the incidents to the RCMP and Conservation Services.
On April 18 th, Scigliano and law enforcement together visited the properties and found that the lodge was occupied and another mass caribou killing had occurred in front of the float plane dock.
"The destruction was overwhelming — cabins ransacked, furniture burned for firewood, and human waste inside the buildings," added Scigliano.
"It's sickening and emotional to see everything destroyed, and even worse, was the tone from law enforcement suggesting little could be done," Scigliano said.
Subsequent inspections revealed similar devastation at his second property, Kasmere Lake Lodge, including the burning of parts of a historic log structure for firewood. Among his most disturbing discoveries were the remains of numerous unborn caribou calves left behind in the carnage.
"It's senseless," said Scigliano. "This is not subsistence hunting. They killed wastefully and left dead carcasses on my doorstep. These images will haunt me forever."
Originally planning to restore the lodges as fishing and eco-tourism hubs, Scigliano now fears the future of the properties and the Park itself is uncertain.
"Nueltin Lake Provincial Park was once a symbol of conservation and sustainability. It was Canada's original fishing 'catch and release' lake. It is a pristine wilderness that cannot be allowed to become a desecrated lawless zone," he said. "We need real accountability, and we need government to act. Lawlessness simply cannot be allowed."
Nueltin Lake Provincial Park is located approximately 700 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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