The [caribou](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribou “Wikipedia’s Caribou Article”) population in Canada’s vast [Northwest Territories](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_territories “Wikipedia’s Northwest Territories Article”) is falling rapidly and the increasingly warm climate could slow the animals’ chances of recovery, a government wildlife specialist said Friday.

Herds of barren-ground caribou, which for centuries have been a crucial source of food and furs for local aboriginals, have dropped by between 40 and 86 percent over the last 10 years. The largest single herd fell from 472,000 animals in 1986 to 128,000 in 2006 and is still declining.

Ease of hunting and global warming were cited as issues.

[Read](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16827098/ “Read the Story”)(MSNBC)