Caribou

mid-1990s - 2022 CE

Arctic migratory caribou populations have declined by 65% over the last 2-3 decades. “Thirty-four of the 43 major herds that scientists have studied worldwide in the last decade, are in decline, with caribou numbers plunging 57 percent from their historical peaks. According to scientists the causes of the global caribou decline are straightforward: rapidly rising Arctic temperatures are throwing caribou out of sync with the environment in which they evolved; oil and gas development, mining, logging, and hydropower projects in the Far North are impinging on the caribou's range; and, though not a major factor, hunting is further depleting already beleaguered caribou populations.” - NOAA, Yale Environment 360

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Support sustainable, wildlife-smart renewable energy development that safeguards migration routes

  • Help restore Caribou habitats to keep them undisturbed by industrial activities over sufficiently large, connected areas

  • Support Indigenous-led stewardship and community monitoring programs

  • Support groups making active conservation and protection efforts for caribou

FOR MORE INFORMATION & HOW TO HELP

Visit

Sources: Gunn A. et al. (5 Dec 2024) “Migratory Tundra Caribou in a Warmer Climate” NOAA. https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2024/migratory-tundra-caribou-in-a-warmer-climate. Accessed 13 May 2026. | Struzik E. (23 Sept 2010) A Troubling Decline in the Caribou Herds of the Arctic” Yale Environment 360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/a_troubling_decline_in_the_caribou_herds_of_the_arctic. Accessed 13 May 2026.

Video & Audio: Pond 5