This population of barren-ground caribou also known as reindeer lives in the Canadian Arctic, so protecting it will restrict trade in these animals in the United States.
After the Center for Biological Diversity submitted comments and a
survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday protected
Dolphin and Union caribou as endangered under the Endangered Species
Act. This population of barren-ground caribou also known as
reindeer lives in the Canadian Arctic, so protecting it will
restrict trade in these animals in the United States.
Dolphin and Union caribou are threatened primarily by climate change
and hunting pressure; they have to cross sea ice to migrate from
their wintering grounds to calving grounds on Victoria Island, and
this year, tragically, several have fallen through the inadequate
ice.
Its deeply saddening that our failure to address the climate
crisis and other threats has caused these animals to suffer such a
drastic decline, said Dianne DuBois, a Center staff scientist. But
the Endangered Species Act will give these reindeer a much-needed
lifeline.