Fred has been doing some research on the animals of Northern Canada. He studied five different species and found that each of them has been listed on the endangered species list. Some are in worse shape than others.
The first animal he studied was the polar bear. The population is still large and stable but the habitat polar bears live in is in decline because of climate change and the rising temperatures of the planet. Scientists are worried the population will decline further if things continue this way so polar bears have been listed with the hope of protecting their habitats.
Fred also found about a small rodent called the Vancouver Island marmot. This animal is in significant danger of being lost in the wild completely. They only live on islands in Vancouver and their habitats are being destroyed by clear cutting of the forest. In order to prevent their loss, most of the marmots are found in captive breeding programs to try and replace them in the wild. If this trend continues, they will be lost in the next few years.
Another mammal Fred discovered was the peary caribou. This species grazes on plant life and has unique adaptations to help it dig in small amounts of snow to reach the grasses and lichens below. Due to climate change, severe weather events have increased the depth of snow at different times of the year and it has decreased the overall population of caribou in this part of the world already. If this trend continues, the caribou may continue to decline in numbers.
He also looked into species of birds found in the area. One bird he studied was the whooping crane. This species of birds was hunted and their habitats were destroyed so thoroughly that they only had 153 mating pairs in the wild. Scientists have been working to bring them back from the brink but they are still in great danger of being lost. While there are now more than 600 birds in the wild, their natural habitats are still in danger.
Finally, he found another species of birds called the Labrador duck. At one point they had a solid population in this area but have not been seen on Earth since 1878. It is believed European settlers hunted their eggs and their food source until this population of ducks disappeared completely.