Caribou in Decline

The history of the famed Newfoundland caribou has been punctuated by population highs and lows within a challenging milieu of punishing winters, disease, a diverse assortment of predators, and a human culture heavily dependent on wild resources. The history of the famed Newfoundland caribou has been punctuated by population highs and lows within a challenging milieu of punishing winters, disease, a diverse assortment of predators, and a human culture heavily dependent on wild resources. Currently the Newfoundland woodland caribou is not listed under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA). In 2002 there were an estimated 100,000 caribou in Newfoundland. Recent surveys have confirmed around 34,000 animals, indicating a greater than 60 percent drop within a decade. To further understand the declining caribou population, in February 2008, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced a $15.3 million allocation to study the Newfoundland caribou under a new Caribou Strategy.