At night, deep in the woods of northern Alberta, white images move across the dark screen, the ghostly figures fitting for a buffalo herd that is facing extirpation and now faces the prospect of oil and gas exploration in its range for the first time.

The Wabasca Herd, nestled in an area southwest of Wood Buffalo National Park, is down to six or seven animals, according to area trappers and advocates. That’s down from an estimate of nine animals just under two years ago.

“There’s only one bull left, and what we counted was six cows, one calf, on these wildlife cameras last winter,” Lorne Tallcree, a trapper, said in an interview. “We don’t know what’s left this winter.”

Tallcree is part of a group called ShagowAskee — a group of trappers, Elders and knowledge keepers — which has been advocating to protect the herd, putting pressure on industry, government and their own nations.

Logging in the herd’s range took place last winter, with more expected this year, and now the Little Red River Cree Nation is hosting meetings with Calgary-based Spur Petroleum about its planned exploratory drilling in the area, which is rich with oil deposits.

Tallcree, a member of the nation, says some in the community want to see the jobs that could come with oil and gas, but many are concerned.

He says 26 Elders are opposed to the development.

“They’re scared of what’s coming out, it’s gonna impact the environment, destroy the water, destroy all the medicinal plants they gather,” he said.

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