Caribou cow could make history

Montana wildlife officials say a Canadian caribou has wandered into Northwest Montana for the second time this spring — and this one has the potential to make history.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife manager Jim Williams said the possibly pregnant cow is from a herd that biologists brought to British Columbia to augment an existing herd.

He says if the caribou gives birth, it would be the first known caribou birth in Montana in over 50 years.

A biologist in Libby is tracking the animal in the Purcell Mountains near the Yaak River. Anyone who spots a caribou is asked to report the sighting to Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

In late April near Eureka, state wildlife officials rescued a collared Canadian caribou that was feared dead, got it medical treatment for tick paralysis and returned it to British Columbia.