Once the world’s largest caribou herd drops by 92%
2013 CE • Canada
“It was once our largest caribou herd, and one of the biggest herds of large migratory mammals anywhere in the world. The George River caribou of northern Quebec and Labrador were surpassed in numbers perhaps only by Africa's wildebeest . . . But now their population is perilously small — about 4 percent of its peak....encroachment of industrial development into their habitat puts these animals at increasing risk.” Recent surveys estimate the herd size at fewer than 28,000, down from 775,000 in 1993.
Jeff Wells, “In Decline, Caribou Face a Tough Winter in Canada," National Geographic Society Blog, January 2, 2013.
Image: Valerie Courtois, Canadian Boreal Initiative
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