The Arrow Lakes Caribou Society (ALCS) has brought some new and old faces to their maternity pen in operations to aid mountain caribou.
On March 28, the ALCS captured 14 caribou from five locations near Nakusp.
A number of the captured caribou had previously stayed in the pen, but some are first-time visitors.
“The caribou are now in the maternity pen and adapting nicely,” said the ALCS in a press release. “The combined effort of 37 people across three teams made this possible, along with three helicopters and three snowmobiles with skimmers.
“The capture teams were led by expert wildlife capture personnel, the provincial government Caribou Recovery Team, wildlife veterinarians, local stakeholders, Ɂaq`am First Nations members and ALCS volunteers.”
The captured caribou were transported to the maternity pen by helicopter. Upon arrival, the caribou were assessed by veterinarians to determine if they were pregnant.
“The purpose of maternity penning is to ensure pregnant cows are safe from predators during calving and to increase calf survival,” added the ALCS. “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.”
Caribou will remain in the pen until late spring or early summer, depending on conditions. More information is available at www.arrowlakescaribousociety.com.
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