New caribou crisis – then and now

Abstract

The reported decline of the Bathurst herd has caused considerable concern and has raised rumours of a “crisis” in which there is a possibility of extinction. This paper reflects on relevant lessons learned from the officially declared “crisis” of population decline in 1955/56 and a second crisis of overpopulation identified by the author a decade later.

Keywords

• Barren ground caribou
• Bathurst caribou herd
• Canada
• crisis management history
• population decline
• resource management