[5] Established in 1927 as the Thelon Game Sanctuary to conserve muskox populations,[2] its original size was 39,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi).

Even though it is north of the Arctic tree line, the area supports thick white spruce tree groves, raspberry, currant, and columbine plants, along with tall alluvial dwarf willow thickets and tag alder.

Scientists believe the causes of this unusual proliferation of plants more common to subarctic areas include favorable fine-textured soils and climatic oasis effect, higher summer temperatures due to northward elevation fall and the absence of large lakes.

[4][7] The wildlife sanctuary is also the ancestral home of Akilinirmiut, Inuit of the Akiliniq, a hilly area by the shores of Beverly Lake (Tipjalik).

[4] The wildlife sanctuary teems with game but is a hunting free zone, with support from the Inuit of Baker Lake.