Caribou in the NWT

Peary Caribou

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Description

Peary caribou are the smallest of all caribou subspecies. Like Dolphin and Union caribou, Peary caribou have a mostly white coat in winter and are slate-grey with white legs and under-parts in summer. The velvet covering their antlers is grey.

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Habitat

Peary caribou live on the arctic islands of the NWT and Nunavut. They are usually found in small groups. Their summer range includes river valley slopes or other moist areas, and upland plains with abundant sedges, willows, grasses and herbs. Winter range includes exposed areas like hilltops and raised beach ridges where the snow is thinner and it is easier to find food.

To obtain food in winter, caribou must dig or paw down to the vegetation under the snow.  This is easier in areas where wind has removed most of the snow, and in years of less snow. Rain in the fall and winter can create ground-fast ice that restricts the ability of Peary caribou to reach food.

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Population

Peary caribou populations in the NWT declined steeply between the 1960s and the 1990s, likely due to a combination of factors including several years of unusually severe winter and spring weather. Since then, there have been sustained low numbers; however, there is recent evidence of an increase in numbers on the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Banks Island.

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Species at Risk Status and Recovery

Peary caribou are listed as a species at risk under the federal Species at Risk Act and the territorial Species at Risk (NWT) Act.

The recovery strategy for Peary caribou sets out recommended approaches to achieve the following goals:

  • All Peary caribou local populations are healthy (self-sustaining) and available for future generations.
  • Peary caribou local populations fluctuate within the normal bounds of population cycles.
  • Peary caribou local populations are able to support a sustainable Inuit/Inuvialuit harvest that is responsive to fluctuations in populations.

A report on progress is published every five years.

Federal species at risk legislation requires specific actions to protect critical habitat for Peary caribou – the sea ice crossings that caribou use to move among islands.

Further information on species at risk status and recovery of Peary caribou can be found at www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca.

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Resources

 

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