The ambitious, community-based Revelstoke Caribou Rearing in the Wild initiative aimed at increasing survival rates of newborn mountain caribou has begun its second season.
A statement from the society said that 18 caribou cows and one calf were successfully captured in late March and early April and are now housed in a 6.4 hectare ‘maternity pen’ on the west bank of the Columbia River between Revelstoke and Mica.
The maternity pen, built in the animal’s natural habitat of North Columbia Mountains, was specially designed for this purpose. The caribou will stay there for the coming weeks, when their calves will be born safely, secured from predators.
“The mothers and their young will be fed and monitored, allowing the calves to grow and gain strength before all the animals are released back into the wild in mid-summer,” the statement said
The Revelstoke Caribou Rearing in the Wild Society (RCRW) is a community-based partnership that includes:
- The Revelstoke Community Forestry Corporation;
- The North Columbia Environmental Society;
- Revelstoke Snowmobile Club;
- Mica Heliskiing;
- The Province of BC;
- Parks Canada;
- The Columbia Mountains Caribou Research Project; and
- The Splatsin First Nation.
The maternity penning project is grateful to the many dedicated volunteers and funders that make this project possible. Major supporters include the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, the Revelstoke Community Forestry Corporation, Columbia Basin Trust, Shell Canada, Parks Canada, Golder and Associates Ltd., Downie Timber and Selkirk Tangiers Heliskiing. To see a full list of supporters go to http://rcrw.ca/contributors
For photos and video go to:
http://rcrw.ca/media-2015
Please click here to view The Current’s story and photos from last summer about the actual pen.
