When it comes to being at home in Alaska’s winter landscape, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are pretty chill. Alaska has 32 distinct caribou herds, and you have a chance of seeing these hooved critters in almost all of Alaska’s 16 national wildlife refuges. Bull caribou drop their antlers in November, while pregnant females keep their antlers until their calves are born in May, meaning Santa’s reindeer, which are essentially the same species, are all female! Caribou bodies are incredibly well adapt

For some amazing wildlife footage and a bird’s eye view of how the Alaska Department of Fish and Game tracks caribou population numbers, check out this short video! The video summarizes the method used by ADF&G to estimate the population size of various caribou herds in Alaska. You can also view the video on our Vimeo and YouTube Channels here: https://vimeo.com/457882955 https://youtu.be/7czVasU-WCw | Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Official