Tag Archives: Caribou

Last caribou herd in lower 48 ‘functionally extinct’

Environmental Issues, News,
Caribou in Jasper National Park, Canada -Photo by Annie K on Unsplash
Caribou in Jasper National Park, Canada -Photo by Annie K on Unsplash

From the New York Times comes another object lesson on the effects of unbalanced industrial development . . .

The battle to save the so-called gray ghosts — the only herd of caribou in the lower 48 states — has been lost.

A recent aerial survey shows that this international herd of southern mountain caribou, which spends part of its year in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho and Washington near the Canadian border, has dwindled to just three animals and should be considered “functionally extinct,” experts say.

The Selkirk herd had been disappearing for the last several years.

Read more . . .

Between a rock and a hard place: mountain caribou in the South Selkirks

Commentary, Environmental Issues, ,

John Bergenske posted a lengthy, rather sad article to the Wildsite website discussing the problems recovering mountain caribou herds in the southern Selkirk Mountains in Canada. (South of the border, the Selkirks shelter the sole remaining woodland caribou population in the U.S.)

Sometimes, there are just no good solutions . . .

I have been involved with mountain caribou since the 1970’s and as Wildsight since the 90’s when we first sponsored caribou research in the Purcell Mountains. It has been clear since that time that there are no simple solutions or easy answers to mountain caribou recovery.

Read more . . .

Green cards for caribou?

News, ,

Well, yet another Canadian caribou has wondered into Montana. Montana FWP found the last one and sent it home. This new one may be pregnant. Excitement all around . . .

Montana wildlife officials say a Canadian caribou has wandered into northwestern Montana for the second time this spring, and this one has the potential to make history.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife manager Jim Williams tells KCFW-TV the possibly pregnant cow is from a herd that biologists brought to British Columbia to augment an existing herd.

He says if the caribou gives birth, it would be the first known caribou birth in Montana in over 50 years.

Continue reading . . .

Surprise caribou rescue

News,

This is a pretty good story. Montana FWP thought they were going out to retrieve a dead caribou that wandered away from a Canadian herd. Instead, they ended up with a live Caribou on their hands . . .

What started out as an unusual hunt for a dead caribou that wandered south of Eureka from Canada turned out to be an animal  rescue mission Thursday for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists.

British Columbia wildlife officials notified the biologists Thursday morning that a recently transplanted cow caribou had wandered into the Pinkham Creek drainage, and its satellite collar was broadcasting a mortality signal that is triggered when the collar doesn’t move for six hours.

Jim Williams, the regional wildlife manager, teamed up with biologists Tim Thier and Tim Manley to retrieve the animal using snowmobiles.

Continue reading . . .