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THE RETURN OF CARIBOU TO UNGAVA.

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THE RETURN OF CARIBOU TO UNGAVA By A.T. BERGERUD, STUART N. LUTTICH, and LODEWIJK CAMPS. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7735-3233-5. xxxvii + 586 p., maps, colour plates, b&w illus., bib., index. Hardbound. Cdn$49.95.

The Return of Caribou to Ungava is as much a passionate telling of a northern saga as it is a scientific monograph about caribou. Bergerud and his co-authors tell the story of the rise (1950-88) and fall (1988-2001) of the George River Herd. At its peak, it was the largest herd of migratory tundra caribou in North America. To tell that story, the authors go back to the events unfolding as the last glaciers retreated (Chapter 3) and how the journeys of the caribou and early people became intertwined (Chapter 5). It is not just the human predators, but also the wolverine, bears, and wolves whose fate follows the sweeping changes in caribou abundance. Climate, weather, and vegetation and their interplay with caribou ecology are all part of the story of the George River Caribou herd on the Ungava Peninsula.

Tom Bergerud is one of the world's most influential caribou biologists, and his passion for caribou rings through the book. The book has the stamp of authority from his decades of experience, and his...

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