Alberta’s caribou maternity ward plan attacked in science journal
EDMONTON — Alberta’s plan to restore a dwindling caribou herd by penning off a large tract of forest for pregnant cows would only produce “naive” calves that wouldn’t survive outside the fence, says a scientific paper.
The paper, published recently in the journal Animals, also says the government has overstated how much protected land the Little Smoky herd — nearly wiped out by the effects of industry — will need to survive.
“If we start with habitat conservation and restoration, the caribou will take care of themselves,” said study author Gilbert Proulx.
The attack is the latest on a plan that has already been criticized by environmental groups and biologists.