Why are there elk virtually everywhere you look in Jasper, while you almost never see caribou?

There are several reasons, according to John Wilmshurst, an ecosystem science co-ordinator with Jasper National Park.

For one, he said, elk are naturally more reproductively successful. They can start reproducing by age two, whereas caribou don’t usually start having young until age three or four. In addition, of the females that are capable of reproducing, nearly 100 per cent of elk in a herd will become pregnant in a given season, compared to only about 75 per cent of caribou.

Caribou are also much more shy around humans, which can work to their detriment when compared to elk. Motor vehicles may pose a risk to the elk you see roaming through town, but sticking so close to developed areas keeps them relatively safe from predators that present a much more serious threat.

Of all the caribou deaths Parks Canada has observed, 44 per cent are due to predation, with wolves being the primary predator. There is also a growing number of predators in the area, in part due to the recent arrival of another species of ungulate that hasn’t historically been present in Jasper: white-tailed deer.

These “invaders,” as Wilmshurst describes them, provide an excellent source of food for wild carnivores.

“Lots of prey for wolves and cougars means lots more predators,” he said, “which makes life more difficult for caribou, as well.”

Caribou tend not only to be shy around humans, but also around predators. While elk will tend to stick to good grazing areas even if it means accepting the occasional wolf attack, caribou will flee to higher ground when they encounter predators, even if it’s in a tasty meadow. This can further limit their already limited habitat.

Industrial, commercial and residential development outside of the park has also reduced the amount of land available to caribou. And while development is restricted inside the park, modern fire control has put pressure on the herds.

Wildfires that used to rage uncontrolled every so often in Jasper resulted in much more grazing area for ungulates 100 years ago. “The solid blanket of forest” that exists throughout most of the park today would have been unusual in the past, Wilmshurst said, restricted to only the wettest of periods.

Back then, the ungulate population was the reverse of today. Caribou were more common while elk had been completely hunted out. The animals had to be re-introduced to Jasper around 1922.

“With the re-introduction at that time, Parks Canada was also doing wolf control, and there was probably a little bit more fire in the park at that time, so there was more open habitat for elk,” Wilmshurst said.

“Elk populations exploded. There were thousands of elk in this park, to the point where we had to actually start to control them.”