{"id":10970,"date":"2018-03-06T18:56:59","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T23:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/?p=10970"},"modified":"2018-03-06T19:14:32","modified_gmt":"2018-03-07T00:14:32","slug":"some-information-about-the-lake-superior-woodland-caribou-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/06\/some-information-about-the-lake-superior-woodland-caribou-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Information about the Lake Superior Woodland Caribou – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mar 6, 2018 @ 18:56<\/b><\/p>\n

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One of the female caribou after her release on Caribou Island.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Q:\u00a0 What is the current status of the caribou around Lake Superior?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0 <\/strong>Not good.\u00a0 The caribou on the mainland may now be all gone.\u00a0 Recently, there were still thought to be some along the north shore from Pic Island to west of Cape Victoria (Marathon to Rossport).\u00a0 But local residents say no one has seen any animals or sign there for a few years now.\u00a0 The Slate Islands used to have a high population, but a pair of wolves went out to the islands in 2014 and eliminated all the caribou there except for 2 to 4 bulls.\u00a0 Michipicoten Island also had a very large caribou population (likely well over 800 and maybe close to 1000), but wolves also went out to there in 2014 and have almost eliminated the caribou.\u00a0 In an attempt to salvage the population from extirpation, the MNRF moved 9 caribou to the Slates from Michipicoten in January, and 5 caribou to Caribou Island from Michipicoten in February in partnership with the Michipicoten First Nation.\u00a0 So when the Michipicoten Island caribou are gone this winter, there will only be 16 to 18 caribou left in the Lake Superior population.\u00a0 That\u2019s down from close to 1000 animals 4 years ago.<\/p>\n

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Q:\u00a0 What is being done to prevent the loss of the Lake Superior caribou?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0 <\/strong>The Michipicoten First Nation and a handful of local people have been pushing the MNRF to act to conserve the Lake Superior caribou.\u00a0 Many of you also wrote to the Ministry or your MPP about this \u2013 so public pressure undoubted helped \u2013 thank you.\u00a0 As a result, the MNRF have arranged 2 caribou moves to salvage the population:<\/p>\n