Wood Caribou

Picture from www.deer.rr.ualberta.ca Years ago, my husband and I spent a week in Jasper, and hiked the mountains and explored springs, falls, and natural wonders. One of the natural wonders that was a surprise is Wood Caribou. I had no idea that caribou existed as far south as Jasper National Park. Every where we went, we saw signs up advising of Caribou crossing, and notices to stay away from them because they were quite aggressive with humans. We thought that seemed fair since humans are the predator that has caused the most damage to the Wood Caribou. In spring, Caribou climbs to the high alpine meadow of the Rockies. Since hiking trails now lead to some of these meadows, we expected to see herds of them. However, they were invisible. Perhaps this is part of their message to us. Knowing that the males are significantly larger than females, and that both of them will each weigh 450 and 250 pounds respectively, it is hard to believe they could hide so easily. Most Caribou are predominantly brown to olive, with whitish under parts, buttocks and legs. There is some geographic variation. Some populations in Greenland and northeastern Canada have nearly white coats. Both sexes are antlered.  Caribou offers many messages. - every year, take two big trips. A change of scenery allows you to appreciate what you have. - learn how to use your environment to your advantage to feel safe and to enjoy the abundance of it. - do not be afraid of adventure. Being a risk taker keeps us interested in life and helps us stay alert for predators (those who would use us to their own advantage). - enjoy the wilderness and protect it. Everything came from it, and most life depends on it (logging, gas, oil, coal and mining in general). Many blessings, Judy