How many miles do you think you could walk? Two? Five? Maybe even ten? Imagine having to walk three thousand (3,000) miles each year just to find food. The caribou are constantly on the move. They travel in herds every fall and spring. By the time they get to their summer home, it's time to turn around and head back!

Picture taken from here.

Don't feel sorry for these Caribou because they have to walk so far. They were built for walking! Their large hooves or feet hold them up like snowshoes whether it is snowy in the winter or soggy in the summer. Caribou can also swim across lakes without any trouble at all. And one more thing-Caribou can run up to 50 miles an hour! That's almost as fast as you drive on the highway!


Impressed with the Caribou? Want to learn more? Check out these sites:

Caribou Fun Facts: Discover everything you wanted to know about caribou--check it out, you might be surprised!

Caribou Wildlife Notebook: Learn all about caribou from the folks at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Caribou: Learn about a caribou from a class of third grade students in Alaska.

Woodland Caribou: Read this to find out why caribou are endangered.

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