Counting Caribou - Woodland Caribou in the Churchill Range
How do you estimate the size of a group of animals that are by nature secretive, elusive, and camouflaged for their northern forest environment? A recent study completed by Lakehead University in partnership with the Government of Ontario and the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) provides answers and new information about woodland caribou in the Churchill Range of northwestern Ontario.
Researchers collected caribou droppings and used DNA to identify individual animals. This allowed them to estimate the number of caribou across the range without having to capture or handle them. After identifying 245 individual caribou from the DNA samples, they estimated that about 937 caribou live across the study area, although the actual number could be higher or lower.
This estimate does not mean that the caribou population has increased. In contrast, earlier aerial surveys counted only animals that could be seen during the survey, whereas this new study uses a different method that also estimates animals that were present but not detected. The results do suggest that there may be many more caribou in the range than previously thought.
The study also found that caribou in the Churchill Range have moderate genetic diversity overall, with little evidence of widespread inbreeding, which is good news for the health of the population. Further, some differences were found across the range, making these results an important starting point for tracking genetic health in the future.
This study demonstrated that DNA collected from caribou droppings can provide valuable information about caribou numbers and genetic diversity. Repeating this type of survey over time could help track changes in the population and support future caribou conservation and management decisions in Ontario.
The study has been reviewed as part of graduate university research, but the results have not yet been formally reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
The full report was provided by a third party and is only available in English.
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