Camera: Nikon F801s     Lens: Sigma APO 7.2/500m AF     Film: Kodak Ektachrome 400     Date: 06.09.1993

Caribou in Denali National Park, Alaska

The size of the Denali Herd has fluctuated greatly over the last 80 years. It once numbered over 20,000 caribou during the 1920s, but during the next 50 years the herd declined to 10,000 animals. Before hunting was banned in the late 1970s, numbers reached a low of approximately 1,000 animals. By 1990, the herd numbered 3,700 animals. However, the winter of 1990-91 was very severe and set new snowfall records. The herd declined as much as 30% between 1990 and 1991, likely due to weather induced stresses and increased vulnerability to predation. Currently, there are approximately 1,760 caribou in Denali. Further reading: Caribou in Denali at the US National Park Service website.