Abstract

In 1968 the native caribou population (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) on the Nuussuaq Peninsula was believed to number 15 to 25 individuals. Therefore 10 semidomestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) were introduced the same year. There are no natural predators, and when only 44 animals were observed in 1991, hunting was prohibited until 1996. The most recent aerial survey of April 1995 observed 161 animals, which included 18 calves (age<1 year).="" the="" population="" estimate="" was="" c.="" 400="" animals.="" harvest="" quotas="" were="" typically="" 100="" animals="" annually="" between="" 1996="" and="" 2001.="" late="" winter="" monitoring="" by="" ground="" survey="" for="" a="" minimum="" count="" and="" recruitment="" was="" first="" initiated="" in="" 2002.="" local="" hunters="" participated="" in="" survey="" planning="" and="" execution,="" and="" received="" training="" in="" data="" collection="" and="" techniques.="" in="" 2002="" the="" establishment="" of="" a="" feral="" reindeer="" population="" appears="" successful,="" while="" the="" native="" caribou="" have="" recovered="" to="" number="" several="" hundred.="" the="" april="" 2002="" ground="" survey="" observed="" 1164="" individuals,="" which="" included="" 324="" calves,="" for="" a="" calf="" percentage="" of="" 27,8%.="" this="" data="" did="" not="" allow="" a="" calculation="" of="" poæulation="" size,="" because="" areas="" where="" maximum="" caribou/reindeer="" were="" expected="" were="" preferentially="" sampled.="" spatial="" segregation="" of="" these="" two="" sub-species="" is="" suggested.="" given="" dissimilar="" behaviour,="" phenotype="" and="" spatial="" distribution,="" it ="" appears="" that="" the="" caribou="" and="" reindeer="" have="" had="" little="" genetic="" mixing="" to="" date.="" at="" current="" recruitment="" rates="" animal="" density="" could="" increase="" rapidly="" making="" range="" expansion="" likely.="" therefore="" more="" mixing="" may="" be="" expected="" in="" future.="" greater="" caribou/reindeer="" densities="" may="" not="" be="" compatible="" with="" sustainable="" range="" use.="" present="" management="" goals="" include,="" 1)="" preventing="" further="" growth="" in="" herd="" size="" by="" increasing="" the="" harvest,="" and="" 2)="" annual="" or="" semi-annual="" ground="" surveys="" by="" locals="" to="" provide="" an="" index="" of="" herd="" size="" and="" recruitment.="" the="" first="" may="" preserve="" caribou="" range="" for="" the="" future,="" while="" the="" second="" provides="" information="" for="" management="" decisions="" and="" may="" promote="" local="" responsibility="" for="" the="" herd(s).="">