Caribou

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are a medium sized member of the cervid, or deer, family. They have a long snout, short tail, and a short, stocky body that conserves heat. Long legs and large hooves help caribou move through deep snow.

Caribou are an essential part of Indigenous culture and the lives of northern communities. In Wapusk National Park, caribou remain interconnected with Indigenous values, beliefs and harvesting practices.

Twelve designatable units of caribou across Canada are recognized by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The barren-ground and eastern migratory species utilize Wapusk National Park. Both Wapusk National Park and COSEWIC have recommended listing these caribou as threatened and endangered, respectively. Both are recommended for up-listing to Canada's Species at Risk Act.

The eastern migratory caribou unit covers a wide range along the Hudson Bay: from Northern Manitoba, to Northern Quebec and Labrador. This unit is made up of four discrete herds: The Cape Churchill, Penn Island, Leaf River and George River herds. Of the four, the Cape Churchill herd has been identified as utilizing Wapusk National Park with an estimated 3,000 individuals. This herd is known to spend winter around Wapusk's southwestern border, in the northern edge of the boreal forest. They spend the summer in the northern portion of Wapusk National Park, near Cape Churchill. The herd migrates over 200 kilometres annually from its summer calving grounds on the tundra of Wapusk, to the boreal forest.

The Cape Churchill caribou population spends the winter months focused on staying warm, using the expansive peatlands to forage for lichens rich in carbohydrates. In the spring, the north-eastern corner of the park serves as calving grounds for the caribou — caribou herds are normally named after the area they calve in. Caribou exhibit ‘synchronous calving’ behaviour, meaning that they migrate to the same general area each year and give birth at around the same time. This is to overwhelm the predators in the region to ensure that many calves will survive. Female caribou have one calf per year. Calves are able to walk and run almost immediately after being born. Wolves are the main predator on caribou, but in Wapusk, polar bears have been seen stalking and chasing caribou and occasionally they do get one.

Caribou are the same species as reindeer and the only member of the deer family (Cervidae) where both males and females have antlers. Caribou shed and regrow their antlers yearly. In Wapusk, we can see where the calving areas are because females shed their antlers after the calves are born; and we can see the mating areas because males shed their antlers after the rut. Caribou and several small mammal species are known to chew on discarded antlers as a source of calcium and other minerals.

Remote camera images

Check out some of the curious caribou that stopped by our cameras!