Relocated Lake Superior caribou doing well, scientist says

A lot of logistics and planning goes into any move, but a northern Ontario scientist recently took that that planning to a whole new level.

Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry relocated caribou from Michipicoten Island to Slate Islands, by helicopter.

Art Rodgers, a research scientist with the ministry, was in charge of developing the protocol to move the animals and coordinate everyone involved.

“I had not been involved in relocation of animals before,” he told CBC.

“We really haven’t done too much of that in Ontario in the past.”

The caribou were moved as wolves had made their way over to the island and the population of caribou was declining as a result.

Rodgers says he contacted other provinces for advice on the move. He says he eventually organized several groups of people to work on the project, including a wildlife capture company, ministry aircraft staff, a transport aircraft and veterinarians.