Carbou Extinction?

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind:
cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.”
And it was so.  
 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, a
nd the cattle of every kind,
and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind.
And God saw that it was good

Genesis 1:24-25 (NRSV)

I have been to Fogo Island Newfoundland many times, as well as Gros Morne National Park and barrens where caribou are said to roam, yet have never seen the Canadian version of a reindeer. We've also paddled through areas of Northern Ontario where caribou were once common without a sighting.



Caribou Drum Alan Syliboy

Spotting a caribou has become increasingly difficult even in the far northern regions where they once migrated in great herds. I have the feeling that the only caribou I'll ever see up close is the one which has been on the Canadian quarter since 1937. I'm not so sure that most of us Canucks are aware of the importance of this creature for Aboriginal peoples and in the imagination of the nation. Sadly, virtually every population in this vast land is diminishing. The George River herd of Labrador was 385,000 in 2001 and down to 5,500 last year. This is grim news and it is not much different with the reindeer herds of northern Europe. Habitat incursion for resource extraction, climate change, and disease are all factors in the decline.


Caribou Coin 2018

The decription of the latest three-dollar coin speaks of "it's formidable rack of antlers, the caribou stands tall as a timeless emblem of our wildlife heritage." There's nothing about the possibility of extinction. We often look to the African and Asian continents to lament the decline of elephant and tiger populations. Yet these remarkable creatures are disappearing without much concern on our part.

The cartoon may be hopeful of a revival but we'll have to do much better as a species for the sake of this species and many others. I haven't found any caribou in the bible, but I'm certain it is our God-given responsibility to do much more than carry a coin around in our pockets.