Reindeer and Caribou Numbers Plummet
A review of herd populations has found declining numbers is a global issue.
"The first global review of (the caribou and reindeer) status has found that populations are declining almost everywhere they live, from Alaska and Canada, to Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia." Stated an article released today from BBC. Scientists looked into the state of caribou and reindeer populations (Species: Rangifer tarandus) and found that of the 54 major herds around the northern hemisphere, "34 of the herds were declining," and "only eight herds were increasing in number." There was no data for the remaining 16 herds.
So what is causing the decline? Climate change and industrial development are the suspected culprits. With ever-increasing human involvement, from logging, to oil and gas exploration, to an increase in building of roads, make it hard for species to adapt in time. Add the rising temperatures due to global warming and we are left with a grim future for the reindeer and caribou.
Read the full article from BBC
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