The Project: Problem Situation

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Problem Situation


Mountain Caribou are losing ground and going homeless

Today only 1670 mountain caribou, a subspecies of the woodland caribou and red listed as endangered species, are left. They live in 13 herds on the western side of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Most of these herds are shrinking rapidly, 6 of the 13 have fewer than 50 animals each.
Their home is British Columbia‘s Interior Temperate Rainforest which once covered about 65.000 square kilometers, about twice the size of Belgium. Over the last decades it has lost about 50% of its origin because of clearcut logging.			Click to enlarge (Map: mountaincaribou.org)
Photo: Trevor Kinley

This means loss and fragmentation of habitat for many species, first of all the rare mountain caribou , but also for grizzly bears, wolverines, and others.

Winter backcountry activities like snowmobiling, helicopter- and snowcat skiing in high alpine caribou grounds have added to the dramatic decline of the mountain caribou. Human winter fun is a big threat and disturbance to the animals. To endure hard winter conditions mountain caribou depend on lichens called old men's beard which grow on old trees only.
		Photo: Micheal Morris

Mountain Caribou need your help. They can only survive if their home is protected immediately. KIDSFORCARIBOU wants to motivate children, teachers, parents, and groups to get involved into preservation projects and activities.

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