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Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
Silhouette: mystica · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyCervidae (Deer)
- GenusRangifer (Caribous/Reindeers)
- SpeciesRangifer tarandus (Caribou)
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
28 Verified sightings at Cairngorms National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,676 In all 7 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Caribou
The reindeer or caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only representative of the genus Rangifer. More recent studies suggest the splitting of reindeer and caribou (North American terminology). "All caribou and reindeer throughout the world are considered to be the same species, but there are 7 subspecies."
Reindeer occur in both migratory and sedentary populations, and their herd sizes vary greatly in different regions. The tundra subspecies are adapted for extreme cold, and some are adapted for long-distance migration. Reindeer vary greatly in size and color from the smallest, the Svalbard reindeer (R. (t.) platyrhynchus), to the largest, Osborn's caribou (R. t. osborni). Although reindeer are quite numerous, some species and subspecies are in decline and considered vulnerable. They are unique among deer (Cervidae) in that females may have antlers, although the prevalence of antlered females varies by subspecies.
Reindeer are the only successfully semi-domesticated deer on a large scale in the world. Both wild and domestic reindeer have been an important source of food, clothing, and shelter for Arctic people from prehistorical times. They are still herded and hunted today. In some traditional Christmas legends, Santa Claus's reindeer pull a sleigh through the night sky to help Santa Claus deliver gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Caribou in Cairngorms National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Svalbard | 🇳🇴 Norway | |
| 2 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 6 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Caribou in Cairngorms National Park?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Caribou in Cairngorms National Park?
October
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and November–January, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Caribou?
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Caribou sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Cairngorms National Park the best place to see a Caribou?
6th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Caribou sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 6th at about 20%. The best odds are in Svalbard (Norway, about 90%), Denali National Park (United States, about 90%) and Gros Morne National Park (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Caribou live in Cairngorms National Park?
Same family: Cervidae
The closest relatives of the Caribou that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (family Cervidae, Deer) are Western Roe Deer (about 40%) and Red Deer (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Caribou sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Caribou is recorded against all the mammals logged in Cairngorms National Park (28 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
