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CELPIP Practice Reading: Reading for Information ID: #63078 Medium Caribou herds: Arctic routes and tracking

Read the following passage.

A. Caribou are northern deer that form some of the largest land-mammal herds on Earth. In Canada they are closely related to what Europeans call reindeer, though wild caribou and domestic reindeer differ in management. Both males and females can grow antlers, which is unusual among deer. Thick coats and large hooves help them walk on snow and dig for lichens, a key winter food across the tundra and boreal forest. Herd names used by managers, such as the Bathurst or Porcupine herds, help track separate populations.

B. Some barren-ground herds travel hundreds of kilometres each year between winter ranges in the forest and spring calving grounds on the open tundra. These migrations follow traditional corridors that Indigenous hunters have known for generations. Calves are born in short windows when insects are fewer and vegetation is flushing. If a herd is delayed by late snow or human barriers, calf survival can drop sharply in that season. Spring melt rivers can become dangerous barriers if ice bridges collapse under migrating animals.

C. Scientists track caribou with satellite collars, aerial surveys, and community observations shared by northern hunters. Collar data show how herds shift routes when ice roads, mines, or pipelines cross old paths. Population estimates also rely on counting animals from aircraft during post-calving aggregations. Combining scientific counts with local knowledge gives managers a clearer picture than either source alone. Community hunts conducted under co-management boards provide additional age and sex data.

D. Several Canadian herds have declined because of habitat change, predation, and industrial disturbance, while a few remain relatively stable. Conservation plans may limit harvest, protect calving areas, or require companies to avoid key corridors during migration. Climate change adds uncertainty by altering snow crusts, insect timing, and forest fire patterns that reshape winter range. Public reporting of sightings helps fill gaps between formal surveys in remote regions. Recovery will likely take decades even when protective measures succeed.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.

Decide which paragraph, A to D, has the information given in each statement below. Select E if the information is not given in any of the paragraphs.

- 1.
Both male and female caribou can grow antlers.

- 2.
Some herds migrate between forest winter range and tundra calving grounds.

- 3.
Satellite collars help scientists follow how herds change routes.

- 4.
Caribou calves are born during long winters under deep snow only.

- 5.
Managers combine aerial counts with Indigenous hunters' knowledge.

- 6.
Industrial features such as ice roads and pipelines can shift migration paths.

- 7.
Every Canadian caribou herd is currently increasing in size.

- 8.
Lichens are an important winter food for caribou.

- 9.
Caribou are found only on Canada's Pacific islands.

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