Wildlife of Alaska's ANWR
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge---Home to more than Caribou
Vast herds of caribou roam the the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the refuge is home to hundreds of other species as well.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States, and one of the most unique eco-systems on earth. Millions of acres of land support what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes as “large-scale ecological and evolutionary processes” that have proceeded throughout time, largely undisturbed by human activity. No other arctic park or refuge anywhere in world supports the diversity of plant and animal species found in northeast Alaska’s ANWR.
Mammals in ANWR
Though some arctic mammals such as moose and caribou are migratory, most are not, yet all the animals depend on the open, unbroken wilderness of the refuge for their survival. Eight species of marine mammals are found within the boundaries of the refuge. They are walrus, spotted seal, ringed seal, bearded seal, beluga whale, gray whale, bowhead whale, and largest land predator on earth, the polar bear. Terrestrial animals living in the refuge include shrews, lemmings, voles, martens, ermine, wolverines snowshoe hares, beavers, otters, wolves, arctic foxes, red foxes, lynx, brown (grizzly) bears, moose, caribou, dall sheep and a relic from the ice age, the musk ox.
Birds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Only a few species of birds, such as the grouse, ptarmigan, and ravens are permanent residents of ANWR, but 195 bird species visit the refuge annually. Most come to nest and raise their young. A comprehensive list of birds found in ANWR is on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s web site.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the migratory birds in ANWR is the huge distances that many of them travel to reach the refuge each spring. The northern wheatear, for example, travels 13,000 miles each year from its wintering grounds in Africa to northeast Alaska. The arctic tern travels a similar distance from its wintering grounds in Antarctica. The bar-tailed godwit winters in New Zealand and at one point in its journey, must fly non-stop across 7,200 miles of open ocean. Birds migrate to and from ANWR across vast distance to destinations around the world.
Fishes of ANWR
Fourteen species of freshwater fish are found in large numbers in the refuge. These include sheefish, grayling, and northern pike. Another 12 or so species of anadromous (ocean-going) fish return to fresh water streams in the refuge during the brief arctic summers. Among them are 4 species of salmon, dolly varden, and whitefish.
Though caribou are the signature species of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the refuge is a home and breeding ground for a wide variety of species, many of whom are endangered or threatened.
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