Population status and calf mortality of the Denali Caribou Herd, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska - 1984-1988
Adams LG, Dale BW, Shults B. 1989. Population status and calf mortality of the Denali Caribou Herd, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska - 1984-1988. Natural Resources Progress Report. AR-89/13. National Park Service Alaska Region. Anchorage, AK
This 1989 report discribes research done on the Denali Caribou Herd from 1984 through 1988. The research focused on: 1) population size and trends; 2) calf mortality; 3) relationships between maternal characteristics and calf production; and 4) relationships between caribou calving and home-range use and predatory behavior of grizzly bears and wolves. The Denali Herd increased from about 1,000 in 1977 to 2,700 in 1987. During 1984-1987, 225 caribou calves were radio-collared to study calf mortality. Forty percent of calves died within 15 days of birth and 98% of these deaths were due to predators. Bears, mostly brown/grizzly bears accounted for 49% of the calf predation; wolves for 26%; golden eagles for 4%; and wolverines for 1%. The remaining 18% of predation cases could not be attributed to specific predators. Daily probabilities of calf death by predation decrease linearly with age. In 1987 monitoring of radio-collared cows began. In 1988, 2 grizzly bears were radio-collared and monitored to evaluate home range and predatory behavior.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Adams, Layne; Dale, Bruce; Shults, Brad
- Date of Issue
- 1989
- Publisher
- National Park Service Alaska Region
- Units
- DENA
- Keywords
- Canis lupus, Caribou, Denali National Park And Preserve, Grizzly Bears, Monitoring, Mortality, Mount Mckinley National Park, Mt. McKinley National Park, Population, Population Trends, Predation, Radiotelemetry, Range, Rangifer tarandus, Terrestrial Mammals, Ursus arctos, Wolves