CARIBOU
Scientific Name
Rangifer tarandus
Population
There are approximately 3,000 Barren-Ground Caribou around the Churchill Wildlife Management Area and Wapusk National Park.
Identification
- There are two types of Caribou that roam the Churchill region, Woodland Caribou and Barren Ground Caribou
- They range in size from 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4 to 5 feet)
- They have large hooves and antlers and can weigh over 228 kilograms (500 lbs)
Breeding
Caribou breed in the fall.
Habitat
Caribou are migratory animals and travel in herds looking for their main food source, Caribou Lichen (also called Reindeer Moss). This fragile plant grows close to the ground on the tundra. Once the Caribou have eaten the lichen in one area, it may take years for the lichen to grow back.
The migration of the caribou is closely linked to the two main seasons in Churchill. In the warmer season the caribou herds will migrate and forage for food along the Hudson Bay coastline. The wind from the bay provides the caribou with an effective bug repellant. During the cold season, the caribou migrate back into the interior to seek protection from the cold winds.
Indigenous Use
The Caribou has a very warm, very soft fur that is hollow, insulated and sheds water and snow. This fur was and still is very important to the Northern Indigenous peoples. The fur serves a myriad of uses including parkas, winter boots, tents and bedding materials. Caribou bones can be converted into snow shovels, drums, hide scrapers and knives. Today, the fur of the caribou is converted into an art form know as caribou fur sculpting. This art form originated in Churchill.