Endangered Species Listing Sought for Arctic Reindeer
Today the International Fund for Animal Welfarefiled a petition with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to protect two North Pole-residing caribou species under the Endangered Species Act. While caribou, more commonly known as reindeer, are threatened globally by climate change, the two specific sub-species in this petition, Peary and Dolphin-Union caribou, face an imminent risk of extinction.
Caribou have been a part of the Arctic and Inuit culture for generations. Currently, the habitat of Peary and Dolphin-Union caribou is threatened by rapid climate change and increased frequency of severe weather patterns which prevent them from foraging for food. The overall number of Peary caribou has declined by 84%, from almost 50,000 in the 1960s to less than 7,800 at the turn of the 21st century.
The government has until December 14, 2009 to respond to the petition to protect Arctic reindeer, just a short time before Christmas.
(Source) Press
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