Ruzco, a nearly 4-year-old caribou who recently joined Northwest Trek’s herd, is settling in well in the wildlife park’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area with his fellow caribou. He is also exploring the expansive habitat alongside mountain goats, moose, bison, elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are one of the largest members of the deer family. Their diet is diverse, including mosses, lichens, grasses, and tender shoots.

Breeding season begins in September, when bulls shed the velvet from their antlers in striking red displays and may engage in brief but intense battles. After about eight months, females usually give birth to a single calf weighing 12 to 17 pounds. These animals communicate with low grunts, especially between mothers and calves, and flash their white undertails to warn others of danger.

With Ruzco now part of the herd, there’s hope he’ll become a breeding partner for the wildlife park’s female caribou, strengthening the future of this vulnerable species.