Report: Western Arctic Caribou Numbers Holding Steady

Alaska Public Media posted a recent story about the state of the Western Arctic caribou herd. Here’s a little bit about the numbers and the concerns about the future:

The most recent count of caribou, about 244,000, showed a slight dip from 2017, close to 259,000. It was a higher amount than 2016. Caribou biologist Alex Hanson says this winter’s conditions look promising for the herd. …

… Refuge manager Susan Georgette says one of the things that Fish and Wildlife officials are keeping tabs on is the warmer climate in the area, which Georgette says is having an effect on permafrost and vegetation that caribou eat.