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The
caribou's body is dark brown, with lighter patches around
the neck and rump, and white above each hoof. All males
and some females have dark velvety antlers that are flattened
and project forward. The average Caribou can live a life
of up to 15 years depeding on a couple of factors. Every
animal faces its own set of situations that lead to a shorter
or longer life.
If a caribou lives in a herd that is declining (getting
smaller over the years), it probably will have a shorter
life than a caribou in a healthy or expanding herd. Every
year the caribou cast off and re-grow a new set of antlers.
The annual cycle of antler growth, velvet, and antler shedding
varies with gender, reproductve status and age. The males
shed their antlers in November or December, after mating,
while the females and young may carry their’s through the
winter months.
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