Caribou
CaribouCaribouCaribouCaribou

Caribou

Rangifer tarandus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Gates of the Arctic National Park
6 Verified records at Gates of the Arctic National Park
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The reindeer or caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only representative of the genus Rangifer. More recent studies suggest the splitting of reindeer and caribou (North American terminology). "All caribou and reindeer throughout the world are considered to be the same species, but there are 7 subspecies." Reindeer occur in both migratory and sedentary populations, and their herd sizes vary greatly in different regions. The tundra subspecies are adapted for extreme cold, and some are adapted for long-distance migration. Reindeer vary greatly in size and color from the smallest, the Svalbard reindeer (R. (t.) platyrhynchus), to the largest, Osborn's caribou (R. t. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Gates of the Arctic National Park

Elk
LC

Elk

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Alces alces

50–60% · Likely
Muskox
LC

Muskox

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Ovibos moschatus

Insufficient data
Dall Sheep
LC Endemic

Dall Sheep

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ovis dalli

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

40–50
Jan
40–50
Feb
40–50
Mar
40–50
Apr
20–30
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
50–60
Aug
30–40
Sep
40–50
Oct
40–50
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
2 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
3 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
4 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
30–40%
5 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
6 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
7 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
8 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
9 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
11 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
12 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Caribou in Gates of the Arctic National Park?

About 49% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Caribou in Gates of the Arctic National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Caribou in Gates of the Arctic National Park in our monthly data.

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