Interisland movements of Peary caribou ( Rangifer tarandus pearyi ) on western Queen Elizabeth Islands, Arctic Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Miller, Frank L., Russell, Richard H., Gunn, Anne
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1977
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Arctic; Canada; Peary; Prince Patrick Island; Eglinton Island; caribou; Queen Elizabeth Islands; Rangifer tarandus; Melville Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z77-131; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z77-131

To verify that Peary caribou were making seasonal interisland movements, we used an aerial dye-spray method. In April 1974, about 230 caribou were dye-marked green, and about 200 were marked red on Prince Patrick and Eglinton islands respectively. Aerial searches in June and July 1974 located 41 sightings of dye-marked animals. Of animals marked on Prince Patrick Island 4 were seen on Melville Island, 3 on Eglinton Island, and 16 on Prince Patrick. Of sightings of animals marked on Eglinton Island, there were 6 on Prince Patrick Island and 12 on Eglinton. Maximum distance travelled (vector sum on horizontal plane) by marked caribou was 450 km, from Prince Patrick Island to eastern Melville Island. The study indicates that high proportions of the caribou population seasonally range over two or more islands of the western Queen Elizabeth Group. Therefore, complete evaluation of annual range requirements on an island basis should take into consideration seasonal changes in numbers of caribou that are due to interisland movements.