National GeographicNat Geo Wild
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  • DR. OAKLEY YUKON VET

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

  • In 1978, the Bald eagle was put on the federal Endangered species list throughout most of its range. The species was downgraded to “Threatened” on August 11, 1995.

  • Eagles can fly at speeds up to 30 m.p.h. and can dive at speeds up to 100 m.p.h.

  • Over 150 eagles nest have been spotted in the Chilkat Valley (Alaska) and during the Fall Congregation over 3,000 eagles have been spotted in that area.

  • The American Bald Eagle Foundation is dedicated to the protection and preservation of bald eagle habitat.

  • The American Bald Eagle Foundation’s goal for the future is to develop a Research-Resource Center in Haines, AK near the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve for more research and instruction geared towards helping citizens become more knowledgeable about bald eagles and other animals that share that environment.

  • Eagles’ keen eyesight allows them to see prey up to one mile away.

  • Grey owls are the largest owls in North America, nearly 32 inches from head to tail. 

  • Although the Great Gray Owl appears to be massive, it in fact only weighs about 2.5 pounds and most of the apparent bulk comes from its plumage and large head.

  • Great grey owls have a good sense of hearing, as well as vision. At times they will hovering over snow and then plunging down to take prey that lies under the surface.

  • Haines Junction has a population of 810, with about half being from the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

  • Although it was once thought that porcupines could shoot quills at their predators, that is in fact not true but the quills do easily become detached when they are touched.

  • Porcupine quills have sharp tips and overlapping scales or barbs, making them hard to remove when they’re embedded in another animal’s skin.

  • When porcupines lose quills, they grow new ones and each quill can grow up to 30 centimeters (1 foot) long.

  • Human population in Yukon is roughly 34,000 while the population of one subspecies of caribou, the Barren-ground Caribou, is between 165-220,000.

REINDEER PAINS

  • 1 in 200 cats has feline diabetes. 

  • Feline diabetes is a common disease in which a cat’s body doesn’t properly use insulin. 

  • Cocker, Springer and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels may have a higher risk of developing a cancer associated with the anal sacs.

  • Toxoplasmosis, a single-celled parasitic disease common in animals, is more likely to worsen in cats with suppressed immune systems and is not usually caught by humans from their cats.

  • Lynx kittens typically stay with their mothers for one year so they can learn to hunt.

  • Lynx are typical loner animals and they will not bother or attack humans.  

  • In 2013, there were over 170 wildfires in the Yukon. 

  • Hernias can be life threatening to dogs, although they can be treated relatively easily.

  • Mammary gland tumors are the most common tumors in dogs. Most occur in the large glands near the groin.  

  • The risk of a mammary gland tumor in unsprayed female dogs is about 25 %. 

  • Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious virus among dogs. The intestinal form is the most common and causes vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.  

  • In most cases an injured deer can be very difficult to treat and putting it down is often considered appropriate in irreparable injuries. 

  • Internal bleeding is often a death sentence for wild animals. 

  • An umbilical hernia occurs when intestine or fat passes through a weak spot in the umbilicus.  

  • Lameness (an abnormality in a horse’s gait or stance) can be caused by pain, neurological issues, or mechanical issues. 

  • There are at least four different types of exams horses can go under to diagnose lameness: lameness exam, flexion tests, nerve or joint blocks, and diagnostic imaging.

  • Canada Lynx are the only wild cats whose range extends beyond the Arctic Circle. Their long legs allow them to walk through snow with ease.

  • The Yukon Territory has about 70,000 moose.

ONE ANGRY MUSK-OX

  • Equine infectious anemia is a viral disease in horses which has no vaccine or treatment. 

  • During a Yukon Winter the average daily high temperature is below 20 degrees.

  • One of the largest populations of musk-ox, a species that can be traced back some 90,000 years in North America, can be found in the Northwestern Territories. 

  • Musk-ox bulls will give a warning by rubbing their scent gland against the ground or their forelegs before they charge. 

  • The qiviut, an under-layer coat, is 8 times warmer than sheep’s wool and helps protect the musk-ox during frigid Yukon winters. 

  • Respiratory infections, congestive heart failure and respiratory tract tumors can be some of the causes for a bad cough in a dog. 

  • A spasm of prolonged coughing that occurs at night may indicate heart disease.

  • In Alaska, you don’t need a license for sport fishing, but non-residents under 16 years old do need a hunting permit. 

  • Caribou are members of the deer family, and both female and males grow antlers. 

  • In 2013, 74 permit hunting applications were granted, out of thousands, in the Yukon Territory for Caribou hunting.  Sierra Oakley was one of them. 

  • An adult caribou can weigh over 400 pounds. 

  • Caribou flourish on the open tundra of the Yukon Territory where the wide spaces allow them to see predators from a great distance. 

  • During the summer caribou migrate so that the young can find new food to help them grow fat for the winter. 

  • Caribou meat is leaner than beef because they do not store very much fat in their muscle tissue. 

  • Each caribou foot has four hoofed “toes”. When walking in snow, these “toes” spread out to make it easier to walk in the snow.

CARIBOU DOWN

  • Like in humans, high levels of stress, poor nutrition and genetics can have a negative impact on reproduction in cattle.

  • Dog owners can reduce the risk of breast cancer, uterine infections, ovarian and uterine tumors, injury and stress by having their dogs spayed. 

  • Spaying your dog often reduces behaviors like frequent urination and aggression. 

  • Spayed can increase a dog’s risk of hypothyroidism.

  • In caribou, sparring can allow one animal to assess a threat from another caribou in the same herd and is often used to establish dominance. 

  • Antlers are more than just decorations. They can be used in combat and as a visual badge of dominance. 

  • A common health problem in pugs is Brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome (BAOS). It is a respiratory issue that pugs are famous for. 

  • Cryopreservation allows animal scientists to preserve and catalogue endangered species. 

  • Alaska’s snowy owls often move further south in winter after the breeding season, occasionally going as far as California and Texas. 

  • Unlike other owls, snowy owls hunt during the day and can be fiercely protective of their nests.   

  • Snowy owls are nomadic, searching for areas with the highest abundance of lemmings, their primary prey species. 

  • At one time there were 20 to 30 million bison in North America that spread from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rockies. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss has lead to massive decreases in the population.

OAKLEY GET YOUR BLOW GUN

  • Between April 2012 and April 2013, Calgary’s population increased from 1,120,225 to 1,149,552. A 2.62% increase. 

  • In the early 19th century, there around two million bighorn sheep in North America. Now there are fewer than 70,000.

  • Mountain sheep have extremely good eyesight and can detect small moving objects more than half a mile away.

  • A bighorn lamb will stay near its mother until it’s a year old and within its first day of life will be able to walk and climb with its mother. 

  • The 2013 Calgary flood caused $50 million in damages to the Calgary Zoo. 

  • The 2013 flooding of the Calgary zoo was not its first flood. It also flooded in 1929.

  • The researchers and veterinarians at the Calgary Zoo are leading one of Canada’s largest studies to help save northern leopard frogs from the worldwide amphibian extinction crisis.

  • Mother meerkats are capable of nursing their young while standing on their hind legs.

  • Meerkats often work together in groups and use a sharp call to tell the others to take cover from predators in the sky.

  • When hunting small game meerkats talk to each other with purring sounds. 

  • Today significant concentrations of jaguars are found only in remote areas of South and Central America.

  • The name jaguar comes from the Native American word yaguar, meaning "he who kills with one leap."

  • During the 1960's and 70's, up to 18,000 jaguars were killed annually for their fur.

  • Most bighorn sheep weigh between 160-250 pounds, but rams can weigh over 350 pounds and measure around 40 inches tall at the wither.

WINTER IS COMING

  • Yukon winters are cold, long and dark because of its subarctic climate. 

  • Extreme temperatures are not uncommon in the Yukon, especially when compared to other parts of Southern Canada

  • The average temperature in Whitehorse, YT, in January is -17.7°C. The record low is -52°C. 

  • A female bison is called a cow.  Bison mate in summer and cows are pregnant during fall and winter. The calves are normally born in the springtime. 

  • Bison cows may select a mate that’s not the dominant male.  

  • Like humans, the normal pregnancy for a bison lasts just over 9 months. 

  • The Eurasian eagle-owl is one of the world’s largest. 

  • Eurasian eagle-owls are a top predator in the Yukon but adults don’t have natural predators. 

  • At least 21 species of hawks and owls are native to the Yukon. 

  • Dall sheep are also known as thinhorn sheep, and live to be around 14 years of age.
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