Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Artiodàctils)
- FamilyCervidae (Cèrvids)
- GenusRangifer (Caribous/Reindeers)
- SpeciesRangifer tarandus (Caribou)
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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Jasper National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | |
| 2 | Gates of the Arctic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 5 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Nahanni National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Caribou in Jasper National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Jasper National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Caribou in Jasper National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Caribou in Jasper National Park in our monthly data.