First the Polar Bear, Now Artic Reindeer Proposed for Endangered Species Listing

The International Fund for Animal Welfare on Tuesday filed a petition with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect two North Pole caribou species under the Endangered Species Act. “Currently, the habitat of Peary and Dolphin-Union caribou is threatened by rapid climate change and increased frequency of severe weather patterns which prevent them from foraging for food,” IFAW said in a news release. The group says the overall number of Peary caribou has declined 84 percent, from almost 50,000 in the 1960s to less than 7,800 at the turn of the 21st century. "Climate change has had detrimental effects across the board for arctic animals that rely on sea ice and stable seasonal weather conditions," said Jeff Flocken, director of IFAW’s Washington, D.C., office. "Species such as Peary and Dolphin-Union caribou are in real jeopardy as a result. It is our hope that this petition leads to real protections for this beautiful arctic species." IFAW also noted that in addition to habitat change and global warming, the extinction of Peary and Dolphin-Union caribou populations could be accelerated by threats from predation, over-hunting, lack of genetic diversity, inter-species competition and disease...CNSNews

What's next, Santa or the elves?