Here’s How Caribou Survive the Harsh Winters of Northern Canada
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.17.20
Nunavut is a massive, sparsely populated territory of northern Canada, forming most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Its islands have expanses of tundra, craggy mountains and remote villages, accessible only by plane or boat. And despite the harsh weather conditions typically found there, Nunavut is also home to dozens of land mammals, including polar bear, Peary caribou, barren-ground caribou, muskox, Arctic fox, Arctic wolf, Arctic hare, wolverine and lemming.
Do you ever wonder how these animals endure the treacherous weather they face every single day?
This video should tell you everything you need to know.. (and make you a little chilly as well)
Wild, right!?
The Facebook user who posted this video to their page (Larren Nakoolak) lists their current residence as Baker Lake, Nunavut, but it’s not clear whether it was actually him in the video. The indigenous people who call this Canadian territory their home are known as the Inuit, and their name for large deer or caribou is tuktu.
It’s tough to tell, but it looks like these are a couple of Peary caribou who were looking to escape the frigid winds you can hear whipping in the background.
The Peary caribou is a subspecies of caribou found in the High Arctic islands of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in Canada. They are the smallest of the North American caribou, with the females weighing an average of 130 lb and the males 240 lb. The coat of the caribou is white and thick in the winter. In the summer it becomes short and darker, almost slate-grey in color. The coat is made up of hollow hair which helps to trap warmer air and insulate the caribou.
