Caribou Riverview Park and Zoo

As the seasons change, the appearance and behaviour of many animals changes along with it. Caribou, like the ones here at Riverview Park and Zoo, go through some physical and behavioural changes as the temperature rises and spring thaw takes effect.

Through winter, caribou are covered in thick fur to stay warm in cold northern climates. This coat is often light or silver in colour to blend in with snow-covered terrain. Spring molt reveals dark brown fur to match the ground, rocks, and wooded areas. The change in temperature also signals a change in food availability. After feeding primarily on lichen through the winter, using their sensitive nose to find it and specialized hooves to uncover it beneath the snow, caribou search for green vegetation, like new leaves on shrubs, as it starts to appear in early spring.

Another change caribou experience with the seasons has to do with their antlers. Unlike other members of the deer family, both male and female caribou have antlers. In spring and early summer, caribou drop their antlers which will grow again through the summer months. The new antlers are covered in soft velvet, providing blood supply as they grow. This velvet sheds off in late summer and early fall revealing new antlers used for defence and communication within the herd.

As fall sets in and the temperature drops again, this cycle repeats for the caribou as they grow their winter coat and seek out more lichen to feed on through the winter.

Become a part of the Riverview Park and Zoo family by symbolically adopting a caribou. All proceeds support specialized animal care, nutrition programs, enrichment, research, and more.  Visit our website
www.riverviewparkandzoo.ca/en/index.aspx to adopt or donate.

Mary Kate Whibbs, Riverview Park and Zoo