Frankie Thunderbowl: the Mystery of the Missing Caribou (Explore by the Seat of your Pants) There are not enough reproductive females in the Tonquin and Brazeau caribou ranges for the populations to recover on their own. The most significant threat to caribou in the southern areas of Jasper National Park is their small population size. However, because of their low reproductive rate and need for large areas of uninterrupted habitat, caribou populations grow slowly and can decline quickly. Mountain caribou are well adapted to living in harsh environments to avoid predators. In Jasper National Park, caribou can be found in small but stable numbers in the Tonquin Valley and the Brazeau mountain ranges near the Icefields Parkway, and in larger numbers on either side of Jasper National Park’s northern boundary. They move between alpine areas in summer and subalpine forests in winter. Mountain caribou live in old-growth forests and high alpine areas to avoid predators.

Their habitat includes parts of Banff, Jasper, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. Southern mountain caribou herds are found in the mountain regions of Western Canada. There has been no sign of the last members of the Maligne herd since 2018.

There are four caribou populations with habitat in Jasper National Park: À la Pêche, Brazeau, Maligne and Tonquin. Many southern mountain caribou herds are small and endangered and some are gone forever. This protects their young calves from predators like wolves, grizzly bears and cougars.Ĭaribou that live in Jasper National Park are part of a subgroup of woodland caribou herds called southern mountain caribou. In June, females isolate themselves in more remote areas to give birth to a calf. During long, cold winters they survive by digging through the snow to eat lichens. Mountain caribou in Jasper are usually found in small groups. Their large hooves act like snowshoes, helping them travel in deep snow, dig for food, and even paddle while swimming. Both male and female caribou can grow and shed antlers each year, though at different times. Caribou have the biggest antlers and hooves in the deer family relative to their body size. They are larger than a deer but smaller than an elk. Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou) are members of the deer family.

Activities in jasper national park