Program Aimed at Improving Survival Rates of Caribou Calves

A controlled experiment will be undertaken in a restricted area, in the Middle Ridge area on the south coast of the island, to explore the impact of coyote removal on survival rates of caribou calves.

“An important aspect of the work we have been doing in terms of understanding the decline of caribou on the island portion of the province is the effect that predators have on the population,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “Our science tells us that, unlike other areas of the island where black bears are often the main predator of caribou, coyotes are the predominant threat to calf survival in the southern Middle Ridge area. This experimental program will help us determine if a significant reduction in these predators during the calving season will lead to increased calf survival rates.”

A number of snares have been baited and set by experienced professional trappers, as part of the predator removal project. These snares will be checked regularly and removed from the area in mid to late May before caribou calving begins. All coyote carcasses will be used to augment ongoing data collection on food habits, genetics and body size.

“We are working diligently to help ensure a viable and healthy caribou population in our province,” said Minister French. “Efforts like this one in Middle Ridge will help us answer key questions about the role of coyotes in caribou population dynamics, and help us make strategic management decisions around future efforts for helping stabilize our caribou herds to a sustainable level. It is our hope that we will see a measurable improvement in calf survival rates following this initiative.”

During the 2010 and 2011 calving seasons, a diversionary feeding program was also carried out in the Middle Ridge area. Through this initiative, a regular food supply was made available in an effort to lure predators away from the calving grounds. While the program influenced black bear movement patterns, coyotes were not affected and calf survival rates did not significantly improve. In other research areas on the island, calf survival has improved over the past few years from the rates observed during the 2003-05 period.

Island caribou populations have declined by approximately 66 per cent from a peak of more than 90,000 in the late 1990s to a current population of approximately 30,000 animals. Although the rate of decline has slowed significantly in recent years, annual calf survival rates have not been high enough to halt the decline.

The coyote removal program is part of the five-year, $15.3 million caribou strategy announced in 2008 to help understand and mitigate the current decline in woodland caribou numbers.

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Media contact:
Melony O’Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575
moneill@gov.nl.ca 

2012 04 20                             11:35 a.m.