Thirteen members of an endangered caribou herd, plus the last survivor of a now-extinct one, were safely captured and moved to a maternity pen near Nakusp Hot Springs late last month.
The Arrow Lakes Caribou Society successfully captured 13 caribou from the Central Selkirk herd and the lone survivor of the Columbia South herd on March 28 from five locations northeast of Nakusp.
Ten of the caribou are adult females, while crews also captured four yearling calves.
“Some of these adults were captured during 2022 operations, and some are new to the pen,” said a news release from the Arrow Lakes Caribou Society, which operates the maternity pen. “The caribou are now in the maternity pen and adapting nicely.”
Most of the caribou were captured in the highlands surrounding Nakusp and transported by helicopter to the landing zone near the maternity pen.
From there, they were transferred onto a snowmobile skimmer with an attendant, then carefully transported to the maternity pen.
At the pen, wildlife veterinarians checked the animals and collected baseline health samples and data. We will know more from these samples in the following weeks, including how many of the cows are pregnant.
Last survivor
There was one particularly poignant capture: the last remaining female member of the Columbia South herd, which lived in the Mount Revelstoke-Glacier National Parks area.
It was included in the capture plan by Parks Canada, working in cooperation with the Province and First Nations stakeholders.
“The decision to translocate this caribou was a difficult one,” a Parks Canada website explains.
“The Columbia South herd is now extirpated (no caribou remain in the herd’s range) and we recognize this may cause a sense of grief for some people.”
If they had not made the move, the female had “a low chance of survival and no chance of having calves,” the website says. “Parks Canada and partners, recognizing the potential risks associated with translocation, recommended moving her to the Central Selkirk maternity pen near Nakusp, B.C.”
A press release issued by the Syilx Okanagan Nation states: “We emphasize that the urgent decision to move this last caribou and extirpate the Columbia South caribou has been difficult and caused a sense of grief for Syilx Okanagan people.”
In the release, the Syilx Okanagan acknowledged the work of multiple First Nations to support the translocation of the last remaining female of the South Columbia herd.
The translocation was successful and the animal is in good health, Parks Canada says.
She will now hopefully become a member of that herd, part of the Central Selkirk sub-population — which itself has fewer than 30 members.
A safe place to deliver
The 6.6-hectare maternity pen helps ensure pregnant cows are safe from predators during calving, to increase calf survival.
This period of time in the pen also allows the animals to be fed a high-nutrition diet, which improves their overall health and body condition, the society says.
The caribou will be kept in the pen through calving in May, until late July or August, depending on various factors, including temperature in the pen. Caribou will be closely monitored by maternity pen shepherds from a specialty-built observation blind. Shepherds will include various stakeholder groups including some First Nations community members.
In summer, all caribou will be released into the Central Selkirks herd range.
The move and birthing period is a delicate time for the caribou, and the province will temporarily close Kuskanax Forest Service Road around the maternity pen, starting 600 metres up from Hot Springs Road, from time to time.
A gate and information signage have been installed. The gate will be closed as necessary during critical periods — for example, during calving in May.
In an email to Global News on Friday, the Arrow Lakes Caribou Society said that nine of the 10 females are pregnant, and that they expect them to start calving in late May.
For more information on the Arrow Lakes Caribou Society, including how to donate to this non-profit organization, visit their website or their Facebook page.
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