Caribou

Barrenground caribou bulls stand just over a metre (four feet) high at the shoulder, and weigh about 136 kilograms (300 lbs) after fattening through the summer. Their winter survival depends largely on their large, sharp hooves, which allow them to dig through snow and ice for lichens. When migrating, they walk about 6.5 km (four miles) per hour, and can cover up to 48 km (30 miles) per day. Barrenground caribou move restlessly year round. Their spring migrations take them to calving grounds in remote regions of the mainland Northwest Territories. They spend the summer grazing on lichens to build up much-needed fat for the rut and return migration. During August and September, they’re at the peak of their weight as they move southward. Bull caribou racks reach their maximum growth and may measure 1.5 metres along the curve of the main beam, and up to a metre in width. After mating season, caribou winter in the boreal forest south and east of Great Slave Lake.