Editing Reindeer (section)

== Conservation ==
=== Current status ===
[[File:Pair of caribou grazing.jpg|thumb|Grazing pair in the [[Kenai National Wildlife Refuge]]]]
According to the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]], ''Rangifer tarandus'', as a species, is not endangered because of its overall large population and its widespread range, but, as of 2015, the IUCN has classified the reindeer as [[Vulnerable species|Vulnerable]] due to an observed population decline of 40% over the last +25 years.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> Some reindeer [[species]] and [[subspecies]] are rare and three subspecies have already become [[Extinction|extinct]].<ref name="HighArctic" /><ref name=dawsoni />

In North America, the Queen Charlotte Islands caribou<ref name="COSEWIC2013">{{citation|url=http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct4/result_e.cfm?SSGbox=All|year=2004|work=COSEWIC|institution=Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada|access-date=16 January 2014|title=Subcommittees|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231054/http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct4/result_e.cfm?SSGbox=All|archive-date=1 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=dawsoni>{{cite journal|author1=S. A. Byun |author2=B. F. Koop |author3=T. E. Reimchen |title=Evolution of the Dawson caribou (''Rangifer tarandus dawsoni'')|journal= Can. J. Zool.|volume= 80|issue=5|pages= 956–960|year=2002|doi=10.1139/z02-062|bibcode=2002CaJZ...80..956B |s2cid=4950388 }}</ref><ref name="HighArctic"/> and the East Greenland caribou both became extinct in the early 20th century, the Peary caribou is designated as Endangered, the boreal woodland caribou is designated as Threatened and some individual populations are endangered as well. While the barren-ground caribou is not designated as Threatened, many individual herds — including some of the largest — are declining and there is much concern at the local level.<ref name="RussellGunn2013">{{citation|title=Migratory Tundra ''Rangifer''|first1=Don E.|last1=Russell|first2=A.|last2=Gunn|institution=NOAA Arctic Research Program|date=20 November 2013|access-date=14 January 2014|url=http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/caribou_reindeer.html|series=Annual Arctic Report Card|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121105443/http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/caribou_reindeer.html|archive-date=21 January 2014}}</ref> Grant's caribou, a small, pale subspecies endemic to the western end of the [[Alaska Peninsula]] and the adjacent islands,<ref name="Allen1902" /> has not been assessed as to its conservation status.

The status of the [[Dolphin-Union caribou|Dolphin-Union]] "herd" was upgraded to Endangered in 2017.<ref>COSEWIC (2017) COSEWIC assessment and status report on the caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') Dolphin and Union population in Canada (http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=en&n=24F7211B-1 ). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 51 pp.</ref> In NWT, Dolphin-Union caribou were listed as Special Concern under the NWT Species at Risk (NWT) Act (2013).

Both the Selkirk Mountains caribou (Southern Mountain population DU9) and the Rocky Mountain caribou (Central Mountain population DU8) are classified as Endangered in Canada in regions such as southeastern British Columbia at the [[Canada–United States border]], along the [[Columbia River|Columbia]] and [[Kootenay River|Kootenay]] Rivers and around [[Kootenay Lake]]. Rocky Mountain caribou are extirpated from Banff National Park,<ref>Hebblewhite, M.; White, C.A.; Musiani, M. (2010) Revisiting extinction in National Parks: mountain caribou in Banff. Conservation Biology 24: 341-344.</ref> but a small population remains in Jasper National Park and in mountain ranges to the northwest into British Columbia. Montane caribou are now considered [[Local extinction|extirpated]] in the [[contiguous United States]], including [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[Idaho]]. Osborn's caribou (Northern Mountain population DU7) is classified as Threatened in Canada.

In Eurasia, the Sakhalin reindeer is [[Extinction|extinct]] (and has been replaced by domestic reindeer) and reindeer on most of the Novaya Zemlya islands have also been replaced by domestic reindeer, although some wild reindeer still persist on the northern islands.<ref name="Mizin-2018a" /> Many Siberian tundra reindeer herds have declined, some dangerously, but the Taymir herd remains strong and in total about 940,000 wild Siberian tundra reindeer were estimated in 2010.<ref name="Mizin-2018b" />

There is strong regional variation in ''Rangifer'' herd size. By 2013, many caribou herds in North America had "unusually low numbers" and their winter ranges in particular were smaller than they used to be.<ref name="RussellGunn2013" /> Caribou numbers have fluctuated historically, but many herds are in decline across their range.<ref name="Walker2009"/> There are many factors contributing to the decline in numbers.<ref name="Vors-Boyce-2009"/>

=== Boreal woodland caribou===
Ongoing human development of their [[habitat]] has caused populations of boreal woodland caribou to disappear from their original southern range. In particular, boreal woodland caribou were [[Local extinction|extirpated]] in many areas of eastern North America in the beginning of the 20th century. Professor Marco Musiani of the University of Calgary said in a statement that "The woodland caribou is already an endangered subspecies in southern Canada and the United States...[The] warming of the planet means the disappearance of their critical habitat in these regions. Caribou need undisturbed lichen-rich environments and these types of habitats are disappearing."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/six-ways-climate-change-is-waging-war-on-christmas-180948064/?no-ist |magazine=Smithsonian Magazine |title=Six Ways Climate Change Is Waging War on Christmas |first=Sarah |last=Zielinski |date=16 December 2013 |access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref>

Boreal woodland caribou were designated as [[Threatened species|Threatened]] in 2002 by the [[Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada]], (COSEWIC).<ref name="COSEWIC2011DUReport" /> Environment Canada reported in 2011 that there were approximately 34 000 boreal woodland caribou in 51 ranges remaining in Canada ([[Environment and Climate Change Canada|Environment Canada]], 2011b).<ref name="EC2012" /> "According to Geist, the "woodland caribou is highly endangered throughout its distribution right into Ontario."<ref name="MSW3" />

In 2002, the Atlantic-[[Gaspé Peninsula|Gaspésie]] population DU11 of the boreal woodland caribou was designated as Endangered by COSEWIC. The small isolated population of 200 animals was at risk from predation and habitat loss.

=== Peary caribou===
In 1991, COSEWIC assigned "endangered status" to the [[Banks Island]] and High Arctic populations of the [[Peary caribou]]. The Low Arctic population of the Peary caribou was designated as Threatened. In 2004, all three were designated as "endangered."<ref name="COSEWIC2013" /> In 2015, COSEWIC returned the status to Threatened.