Northern Caribou Population Growing

After years of dramatic declines, there are signs that caribou herds are returning more sustainable sizes.

The populations of Canada's caribou herds are on the rise once again after going into a steep decline due to overhunting in recent years. Biologists from around the Arctic are in Yellowknife this week to discuss northern ungulates, a fancy way of saying caribou, reindeer, and muskox. Just two short years ago, biologists were raising alarms over the stunning decrease in nine of the 11 northern herds – for example, by 2009, the Bathurst population had lost about 90,000 of the 120,000 members it had in 2006. But the decline has been reversed in most herds (the Bathurst population is back up to 100,000), and most biologists are crediting hunting restrictions placed on the Dene people, who have for centuries subsisted primarily on caribou. (They also say climate change and loss of habitat played a part, too, but that goes without saying at this point.) While the Dene weren't exactly happy with having to hunt fewer of their age-old food source, the return to more sustainable levels of one of the most iconic Arctic animals means caribou won't be confined to the backs of our quarters.