Rangifer Anatomy Project
Caribou and reindeer (Rangifer) are keystone species in the circumpolar north and are critical for the maintenance of healthy northern ecosystems. Many Arctic communities and indigenous culture continue to depend on caribou and reindeer for food and as a focus for cultural and economic activities. Healthy caribou and reindeer are vital to northern communities.
The Rangifer Anatomy Project (RAP) grew out of a need for better resources to enhance Rangifer health monitoring, to promote responsible hunting, and to facilitate knowledge exchange across generations among Rangifer users including northern community members, wildlife managers, scientists, and educators. RAP was initiated at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary in December 2007 and has since grown into a much larger collaboration in the Rangifer world.
The webpage of RAP provides images and information about hunting by Aboriginals, caribou anatomy, traditional uses of caribou, sampling to assess caribou body condition, etc. The webpage is a result of hundreds of hours of work of many dedicated individuals – from hunters and elders to scientists and IT specialists. If you have any comments or suggestions about the RAP webpage, please contact Jesse Invik at jinvik@gmail.com
