Calgary Zoo gets funding to support woodland caribou through lichen harvesting

CTV News

2 days ago

Lichen (right) is one of the main foods consumed by the woodland caribou. (Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo)
The Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute has announced a $285,000 investment from TC Energy to help boost the organization's Lichen Harvesting Program, which helps feed their woodland caribou.
Lichen is one of the main foods consumed by the animal.
'In the wild, it can make up as much as 85 per cent of a woodland caribou's winter diet,' explained Larisa Jancewicz, supervisor of animal nutrition.
'Supplementing our zoo caribou with lichen not only provides nutritional benefits, but also encourages natural feeding behaviour'.
Jancewicz says lichen is 'incredibly slow-growing and sensitive.'
As such, the zoo works with communities and school groups in Alberta and British Columbia to ethically harvest the nutritional powerhouse.
Thursday's investment from TC Energy will see the zoo receive the money over three years, including annual funding of $85,000.
'We are proud to support caribou conservation efforts that will not only protect this important species and advance long-term environmental resilience but educate and inspire the next generation,' said Sharon Tomkins, vice president, chief sustainability officer at TC Energy.
The announcement comes the day before World Caribou Day, which aims to raise awareness about at-risk caribou populations and the urgent need to protect their habitats.
Woodland caribou are listed globally as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List, and Alberta's woodland caribou are considered threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act due to habitat loss, climate change, and deforestation.