SCIF Funds Caribou Study

Times are changing across the vast barrenlands of Newfoundland, the massive 43,000 square-mile island that lies off the east coast of Canada. One of the greatest icons of Newfoundland’s wilderness, the woodland caribou, has fallen on hard times. Hunters and outfitters, outdoor recreationists, and government biologists have all observed that the number of caribou is lower and lower each year, a decline that seemed impossible during the glory days of caribou hunting in the late 1990s. Caribou numbers have fallen from almost 100,000 strong in those days to approximately 30,000 today. The current situation presents an enormous challenge as the population continues to decline. Very soon after the announcement of the Caribou Strategy, the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) got involved in a big way. As part of its commitment to science–based conservation, SCIF committed $250,000 to aid in the study of Newfoundland’s caribou and their predators.