The Columbia and Shuswap region is home to four at-risk mountain caribou herds, three with populations in steady decline.

According to a document produced by the BC Caribou Recovery Program, the Frisby-Boulder herd, which ranges over the mountainous area between Sicamous and Revelstoke, has the most diminished population with only an estimated 11 animals remaining. Its population is still in decline.

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Also declining are the Columbia South and Central Selkirks herds with 34 and 29 animals respectively.

The only herd in the region with a stable population is the Columbia North herd with 147 animals; it is still considered threatened by the Caribou Recovery Program.

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Alberta recently announced plans for a caribou rearing facility. While it is clear that human involvement such as maternity penning and predator control is necessary to save this species, without changes to habitat extinction is only a matter of time. * * * * * #BouOfTheWeek #mountaincaribou #caribou #icf #internationalcariboufoundation #conservation #alberta #canada #canadawildlife 📸 @ghostbearinstitute

A post shared by ICF (@internationalcariboufoundation) on Sep 11, 2019 at 7:04pm PDT

The Central Rockies herd, which once roamed north of Glacier National Park, is now gone.

Provincewide, caribou numbers have declined from between 30,000 and 40,000 at the turn of the last century to approximately 19,000 today.

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Salmon Arm Observer