Critters Corner: Woodland Caribou

Riverview Park and Zoo

Say hello to the Riverview Park and Zoo Woodland Caribou!

We are open for visitors through the winter (in fact, we are open 365 days of the year) and many of our animals love the colder weather. Our two female caribou, Margaret and Marley, are very well adapted to life in the snow. Woodland Caribou are found in Northern Canada and Alaska in large herds. To stay together in snowstorms, where visibility can be low through the blowing snow, they listen for each other; not for their calls but for their feet! Caribou have a special ligament in their heels that ‘CLICK’s as they walk. This adaptation let’s them hear where their herd-mates are and stay together. Blizzards are common in their natural habitat so if they can’t see their herd-mates, they have a way to avoid getting lost.

Another adaptation that helps with life in the snow are their antlers. Margaret and Marley have beautiful antlers at this time of year as they have just shed their velvet (the fuzzy tissue that covers antlers and helps them grow). Antlers are useful for female caribou in the wild for protecting their winter food sources and their young. Food is scarce so caribou eat lichen through the winter, having to dig down through the deep snow to reach it.

So, come enjoy the snow while visiting our beautiful caribou this holiday season and consider buying a caribou adoption as a holiday gift to yourself or a loved one. These symbolic adoptions provide vital support for our animals. They come with a personalized certificate, photo of the animal, and a fact sheet about the species. What a perfect gift for a stocking!

Adopt an animal online at www.riverviewparkandzoo.ca

By Dawn Pond, Program Supervisor

Riverview Park and Zoo