Herders have lost 3,000 reindeer. The animals crossed from Richard’s Island, NWT to mainland Beaufort, Delta before the herders had arrived for the season. Herders are concerned that the reindeer pose a threat to which species?

BRY2K

More than 3,000 reindeer in the Northwest Territories have somehow disappeared, leaving herders scrambling to find them and prompting concerns about what threats the lost reindeer may pose to wild caribou. The territory's only reindeer herd inhabits the northern part of the N.W.T., living unsupervised on Richards Island near Tuktoyaktuk in the summer. When ice forms in the winter, the herd's caretakers keep a close watch on the animals to ensure they don't wander away. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/01/08/nwt-reindeer.html?ref=rss Jan 20 08, 5:39 AM

MonkeyOnALeash

Reindeer are Caribou!!!! " The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reindeer Jan 20 08, 6:03 AM

zbeckabee

A major concern...is that the domesticated reindeer could begin mixing with wild caribou herds in the region. "If the reindeer take off with the caribou … that is a different story. It can be pretty bad," he said. "The longer they're mixed with the caribou, the wilder they get." Intermixing with caribou also worries retired Yukon wildlife biologist Rick Farnell, who said diseases that are prevalent in the reindeer herd could endanger the already fragile caribou population. "There's the threat of those animals intermingling with caribou and spreading a pretty virulent disease to wild caribou," Farnell said, adding that quick action must be taken to separate the reindeer from the caribou. See BRY2K's link ------------------------------------ Jan 20 08, 7:33 AM

McGruff

Question #91315. saddlebabe asks: Herders have lost 3,000 reindeer. The animals crossed from Richard’s Island, NWT to mainland Beaufort, Delta before the herders had arrived for the season. Herders are concerned that the reindeer pose a threat to which species? 22crows posts: Wild caribou http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/01/08/nwt-reindeer.html?ref=rss Jan 20 08, 2:16 AM Jan 20 08, 10:28 AM