Can Wolf Cull Save Alberta Caribou?

Woodland caribou are in decline across Canada, but one particular population in north-west Alberta has been especially hard hit. The Little Smoky herd is down to less than 100 animals, due in large part to predation on females and calves by a large wolf population. The dense and remote forests that once protected caribou were opened up to wolves by roads and various forestry operations. As a result, a wolf cull was introduced in 2005.  But a new study by Dr. Stan Boutin, a Professor of Biological Sciences at The University of Alberta in Edmonton, has found that the cull has only stabilized - not grown - the caribou population there. Longer-term solutions, such as regenerating and reclaiming forests and providing protected areas, need to to be considered.

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