Caribou in Canada

Caribou are found across northern Canada and into the Arctic.

The word caribou is from the Mi’kmaq word qalipu, which means “snow shoveller”. The word was chosen because of the way the caribou push away the snow to find food in the winter. Their fur is very warm which means they can live comfortably in the far north.

Another common name for caribou is reindeer! Have you used either the word caribou or reindeer before?

Reindeer, Rein-don’t

What do you already know about caribou, or reindeer?

Let’s play a game called “Reindeer, Rein-don’t.”

Explore the following reindeer facts and select either “yes” or “no” for each.

Now, let’s find out how Lucas did in a game of “Reindeer, Rein-don’t!”

Check out the following video entitled “That TVOKids Show: Reindeer 101” to learn more about caribou.

Caribou bodies

Caribou have antlers that they use to shovel snow and scrape lichen off the rocks so they can eat it.

They have wide hooves to help them travel over the deep snow, and they have warm fur to keep them comfortable in the far north.

Press the ‘Lichen’ button to find out more about this term.

Lichen

Check out the following parts of a caribou.

Can you label each part?

A map with a mystery

The Slate Islands in Lake Superior are 12 kilometers from the nearest town of Terrace Bay.

The Great Lakes don’t usually freeze over, except on the edges where the water is shallow.

Cold temperatures can turn liquid water into solid water, or ice. The freezing of water can help animals travel from one place to another when they normally could not.

In 1907 a part of Lake Superior froze to create a bridge of ice. The Woodland Caribou could walk across the lake to settle in on the island.

When the ice melted, the caribou stayed.

Since then, when the water is frozen, caribou can come across to the Slate Islands, and many stay. This group that has stayed have become their own family of caribou known as the Slate Island Caribou.

The magic of island living

When the caribou were choosing a home, which of the following would they consider?

Caribou are shy but might be curious about human visitors to the island. There are no predators on the island, and there is no way for predators to arrive. This means that the caribou live a comfortable life there with all of their needs met. The island includes the foods they eat: lichen, leaves, mushrooms, berries, and other plants. The Slate Islands have been a protected place for caribou to live without the fear of predators like bear or wolves.

Changing climate

As the climate changes, the patterns of ice freezing and thawing changes, as well as which plants grow well in different locations.

In the following video, there are wolf tracks across the frozen water. This means that as climate changes, wolves have been able to come to the Slate Islands across the ice. Wolves are predators of caribou.

Scientific researchers are using the Slate Islands as a living workshop to study the population of caribou in a small setting.

The researchers have also learned from the knowledge about the caribou behaviours and changing populations from the local First Nation community of Michipicoten, who have lived in and observed the changes in the area for as long as can be remembered.

The Slate Islands are a special place for the caribou. Their populations need to be protected against climate change and predators so that they can continue to not only survive but also thrive in their island environment.

Help conduct research

This learning activity connects new and existing approaches for young scientists to create positive changes in their communities.

Parks Ontario and Michipicoten First Nation are studying the population of caribou on the Slate Islands, and they need your help to keep raising awareness about this issue.

Caribou counting

It is important to gather information about the number of caribou to compare those counts to past and future counts. There used to be almost 600 caribou on the Slate Islands before wolves came across on the ice.

Explore the following image. This image shows the caribou on the Slate Islands.

Help the researchers by counting the caribou that are in the image.

Now that you have explored the image, answer this question:

Why might there be less caribou on Slate Island today then there used to be? Use information you have learned to help you answer this question.

Answer in a method of your choice.

Understanding the ice

Finally, we need to study the temperature compared to past years.

Answer the following question about ice.

Why might the disappearing ice affect the number of caribou on Slate Island?

Record your answer in a method of your choice.

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Discover More