The Mi’kmaq called them “xalibu,” meaning “one who paws” or “snow shoveller.” Today, they are nicknamed “grey ghosts” for their elusive, shy nature... a portent, perhaps, to their future, as numbers are in sharp decline throughout Canada.
The majestic Woodland Caribou roams large, undisturbed forests, wetlands, and bogs in every province of Canada except the Maritimes, where the species was extirpated in the 1920s.
With a solid body built for stability and long legs to navigate deep snow, they travel the northern forests and might migrate great distances in search of food. They communicate with a series of grunts and clicks.
Through the summer, caribou seek green vegetation of wetlands and valleys, but following the winter freeze they use keen scent to locate nutritious terrestrial lichen, which have high carbohydrate content and are easy to metabolize. Once winter’s crust deepens and firms enough to support their weight, herds move into mature coniferous forests seeking arboreal lichens, such as Old Man’s Beard and Witches Hair, which only grow on trees 80 years or older.
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Caribou need large areas of undisturbed old growth woodland. This requirement is directly connected to their survival as these forests provide not only a necessary food source, but protection from predators such as wolves, lynx, cougar, coyote, and bears. It also keeps them geographically separated from moose and deer carrying meningeal brain worm, which is fatal to caribou.
As industrial development pushes further north, the caribou are running out of suitable territory. Logging operations, oil and gas exploration, and mining developments are cutting into these forests, opening up networks of roads and seismic lines that penetrate their isolated habitat and provide linear corridors for predators to travel. These roads and lines also enable recreational access by ATVs, snowmobiles, hunters, and poachers. Regenerated forest areas attract elk, deer and moose, which prefer the tender shoots of young trees, increasing chance of disease. Their presence, in turn, supports predators that also prey on caribou.
A new threat comes from an increasing number of backcountry tourism operators who helicopter, snowmobile or snowcat clients into remote wilderness lodges, skiing or hiking locations.
Woodland Caribou are facing disturbance on all levels and low birthrates coupled with a high calf mortality rate means populations are very susceptible to stress.
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The life span of a Woodland Caribou is 10 to 15 years. The can grow to be 1 to 1.2 metres high at the shoulder, and weigh between 110 and 210 kg.
In 2002, COSEWIC listed Woodland Caribou as threatened overall and, specifically, four populations at risk: Atlantic-Gaspésie, Boreal, Southern Mountain (BC, AB) and Northern Mountain (YK, NT, BC). The total estimated number of caribou in Canada including all populations is 1.5 million.
While it may appear that overall caribou numbers are high, if little happens to halt the decimation of habitat, existing populations will spiral down quickly. Ensuring the long-term health of boreal ecosystems is mandatory for survival of the Woodland Caribou. Nature Canada is waging a concerted effort to secure protection for at least 50% of the Boreal Forest, and the creation of sustainable stewardship practices in the remaining landscape.
Woodland Caribou Facts
- Canada has three types of caribou - Peary, Barren-ground, Woodland. These types are sub-classified by eco-type, based on where they live and how they behave.
- This member of the deer family is the only ungulate (hoofed grazer) with antlers on both males and females. Adult bulls shed theirs in late autumn after mating, but the females often retain theirs until spring. A bull’s antlers can grow as much as 2.5 cm per day.
- Woodland Caribou have grey-brown coats with thick, creamy white on shoulders, chests, bellies and under tails. A longer layer of semi-hollow guard hair supplements a dense undercoat, providing insulation against cold and wind, and buoyancy while swimming.
- They are the only large mammals able to assimilate a primary winter diet of terrestrial and arboreal lichen. As snow melts, caribou seek sedges, new leaves and flowers which provide nitrogen, as pregnant cows rely on this to produce milk.
- The caribou use perfectly designed concave hooves with sharp edges to locate and dig through the snow in search of lichens. The scoop shape also serves as an efficient paddle for swimming. Two half-moon shaped toes grow longer in winter, providing purchase on icy surfaces.
- Scent glands at the base of the ankle dispense a distinct scent when the animal is startled, sending a warning message to other animals nearby.
- Caribou cows typically produce only one calf each spring, seeking traditional calving grounds in very remote, isolated areas. When these areas are compromised by commercial operations, calf survival is affected. Calf survival rates are 30-50%, significantly reducing the herd’s ability to recover when numbers are threatened.
Thank you to Deborah Carr for contributing this story.
