Now Reading: Cold War caribou herd of 2,750 threatens Aleutian island ecology
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Cold War caribou herd of 2,750 threatens Aleutian island ecology
Cold War caribou herd of 2,750 threatens Aleutian island ecology
By 2005, a herd of 25 caribou released on Adak Island in 1958 as emergency food for US military personnel had grown to 2,750 animals, according to Alaska Department of Fish and…
The Story in Brief
By 2005, a herd of 25 caribou released on Adak Island in 1958 as emergency food for US military personnel had grown to 2,750 animals, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game records. The caribou were flown in from mainland Alaska during the Cold War, when planners feared remote bases could be cut off from supply routes. For decades, hunting by stationed troops kept the population between 300 and 600. But after Naval Air Station Adak closed in 1994, hunting plummeted and the herd exploded, causing severe overgrazing, erosion, and damage to slow-growing lichens. Some caribou have since crossed to neighbouring Kagalaska Island, raising concerns about spread through the Aleutian chain.
The Indian Opinion
The Adak caribou story is often cited as a cautionary tale about short-sighted environmental interventions. But it also highlights how Cold War military planning created a self-sustaining food reserve that only became a problem when the original need vanished. The real test now is whether wildlife managers can prevent the herd from colonising other islands. How many caribou will be culled in the next joint census?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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