The Alberta government has released recovery plans for two herds of threatened caribou in the province's north.

The Alberta Wilderness Association is calling on Parks Canada to take steps to help the caribou population in Jasper National Park after a post on the government agency's website said the Maligne caribou herd is now considered locally extinct.

The Alberta government is expected to come up with range plans and recovery strategies for the province's threatened caribou herds before the new year. On Tuesday, two groups who advocate for wildlife protection held a rally outside the legislature to push for a robust plan of action on the matter.