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El caribú, también llamado reno, habita en las regiones septentrionales de América del Norte, Europa, Asia y Groenlandia.

Al llegar el verano, los rebaños de caribús se dirigen hacia el norte, en una de las mayores migraciones conocidas de animales de gran tamaño. Los caribús pueden viajar más de 950 kilómetros por rutas que repiten cada año. Al final de su viaje, pasan el verano alimentándose de los abundantes pastos y plantas de la tundra. En estas fértiles tierras un caribú adulto puede comer 5 kilogramos de alimento cada día.

Los rebaños de hembras inician la migración varias semanas antes que los machos, que las siguen junto con las crías de la última camada, que aún no llegan al año de edad.

El caribú tiene grandes pezuñas, herramientas de gran utilidad para sobrevivir en las duras tierras del norte. Son lo bastante resistentes para soportar el peso del animal sobre la nieve y para impulsarle eficazmente en el agua. La parte inferior de la pezuña es hueca, como si fuera un cucharón invertido, y permite al caribú cavar en la nieve en busca de comida. Sus bordes afilados le proporcionan una sujeción firme sobre roca o hielo.

El caribú es la única especie de venado en la que tanto los machos como las hembras (aunque no todas) tienen cuernos. Las hembras paren cada año una cría, que puede mantenerse de pie a los pocos minutos de nacer y que al día siguiente ya acompaña a su madre.

Cada año, con las primeras nieves, el caribú se dirige hacia el sur, hasta completar una migración que le lleva a viajar hasta más de 2.500 kilómetros al año. Pasan el invierno en climas más benignos, sobreviviendo a base de líquenes.

Desde siempre, el caribú ha sido un animal vital para los pueblos de las regiones septentrionales que constituyen su hábitat.

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El caribú, también llamado reno, habita en las regiones septentrionales de América del Norte, Europa, Asia y Groenlandia. Al llegar el verano, los rebaños de caribús se dirigen hacia el norte, en una de las mayores migraciones conocidas de animales de gran tamaño. Los caribús pueden viajar más de 950 kilómetros por rutas que repiten cada año.

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IFWO - Southern Selkirk Mountains Caribou

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The USFWS wants you to get outside and enjoy nature. Find events in the Pacific NW and Pacific Islands and fun activities for families and educators.

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Photos from the Network

The SCA stands strong for conservation and protection of the crucial and sensitive natural resources of the Selkirk Mountains; its watershed, its forests, lakes, streams, and rivers. A strong SCA is a force to stop unnecessary destruction of forests, especially old-growth, where it negatively affects wildlife, water quality, and plant life.

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The SCA stands strong for conservation and protection of the crucial and sensitive natural resources of the Selkirk Mountains; its watershed, its forests, lakes, streams, and rivers. A strong SCA is a force to stop unnecessary destruction of forests, especially old-growth, where it negatively affects wildlife, water quality, and plant life.

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What Defenders Is Doing to Help Woodland Caribou

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Caribou are a member of the deer family and are adapted to cope with harsh winter conditions.

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About the South Selkirk Mountain Caribou
What are caribou?
Caribou are a medium to large ungulate (deer-like order). They are found throughout the world in the Northern Hemisphere in cold climates and range from the tundra to the high northern mountainous terrains. They differ from other deer types in that both males and females grow antlers. Caribou also have larger hooves for displacing their weight across soft surfaces like wetlands, snow, and the tundra. Unlike other deer species, caribou have a slow reproduction rate and a relatively low calf survival rate.

Did you know that caribou come in many flavors?

While the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), only recognizes one species of Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus), there are14 recognized sub species. Our South Selkirk Mountain Caribou are the subspecies Rangifer tarandus caribou. Caribou are threatened by habitat loss, deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and global climate change. Many of the subspecies and populations of caribou are critically endangered.

Did you know that there is a subspecies of woodland caribou that still resides in the Continental USA?

The South Selkirk Mountain Caribou population of the south mountain subspecies still occupies and utilizes habitat in both northeast Washington and northern Idaho.

Did you know that the endangered Selkirk caribou are part of our national heritage and protected under the Endangered Species Act since the 1990s?

Since 1983 the Mountain Caribou have been protected under the ESA. Many international partners have been working together to restore this population for nearly 35 years. This is the most critically endangered mammal in North America with just 11 remaining today.

What is the cause of their plight?

Habitat is the first problem. Caribou use old aged stands. Logging, fragmentation, and roads have reduced caribou habitat and these areas will take decades to recover. These actions have also increased habitat suitability for other deer species like moose, deer, and elk - drawing predators ever closer to high elevation winter range for the caribou. So predators and other human-caused mortality have put this population at risk of extirpation from our country and natural heritage! Lastly, winter recreation can stress these animals in winter and reduce their fitness. Any increased stress during a low calorie period (winter) can be devastating to individual animals.

Why are caribou important and why should you care?

As part of your natural heritage, caribou are indicators of the health of our environment. They occupy a small band of habitat associated with high elevation and snow pack. These areas are necessary for clean water, streams and fish, and other important indicators such as grizzly bear, golden eagle, wolverine, lynx and other high elevation habitat users. As part of our heritage collectively, we have a responsibility as earth's stewards to maintain the health and productivity of our planet. When these indicators start to disappear, how long before we feel the ramifications of our decisions reach us as a community or individually?

Can we save and rebuild this population of caribou?

Absolutely! However, it takes effort, care, and money. We need your help to encourage your federal and state agencies to protect and recover this species. If it is important to you, it will become important to them. We have been in a period of apathy, but more attention is being paid to caribou on both sides of the border. To keep this momentum going, we need you to advocate for this population. We need you to help raise money to operate and maintain expensive stop gap measures, like the maternity pen, to bridge recovery efforts. We need you to ask Canada to augment this herd with other mountain caribou (even though all populations are declining and are in peril) in the near term to boost population numbers. We need you to reach out to your state (WA and ID) wildlife commissioners and federal managers to prioritize caribou recovery actions and funding. You are critical to this population, and all caribou being preserved on our landscape for future generations to know and enjoy. Since there are still many places to enjoy winter recreation, by supporting and adhering to important area closures we can reduce and eliminate unnecessary stress on these animals.

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What are caribou? Caribou are a medium to large ungulate (deer-like order). They are found throughout the world in the Northern Hemisphere in cold climates and range from the tundra to the high northern mountainous terrains. They differ from other deer types in that both males and females grow antlers.

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Last Stand (Trailer) - The Vanishing Caribou Rainforest

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Find a screening at LastStandFilm.org - 25 minute feature film premiering summer 2017 Last Stand: The Vanishing Caribou Rainforest is a cinematic journey into the tragically threatened world of endangered mountain caribou, their home in the world's largest remaining inland temperate rainforest, and the critical human choices that will ultimately decide the fate of this stunning ecosystem.