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Sunday 05.02.2012

Caribou carnage explained

Local officials from Point Hope, Alaska have found more than 100 legally harvested animals. They say nine animals they identified as clearly wasted were done so for a number of reasons

Point Hope village leaders are asking the governor if they can take into their own hands any punishment doled out in the aftermath of dozens of caribou being killed and wasted near the community, the Anchorage Daily News reports.


A letter containing the request sent to Gov. Sarah Palin, dated July 30, accuses Alaska State Troopers of poorly handling the case and says village officials want to punish the offenders if any are found from Point Hope, said Jack Schaefer, president of the Native Village of Point Hope.

The move comes as village and North Slope Borough officials assessed the scene of the slaughter and were only able to find nine animals that had not been salvaged, in contrast to the dozens of animals that troopers have said were wasted, he said.

"The investigation, in our eyes, is not complete, but we could not find evidence of slaughter or waste," Schaefer said. "We have been in denial from the beginning, and now it's panning out that way. ... We feel that there was nothing that was done wrong."

Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said the governor's office had not received the letter by Tuesday.

It's been a month since villagers from Point Hope and possibly Kivalina killed 120 animals, wasting at least half, as the 377,000-strong Western Arctic caribou Herd passed about 25 miles to the east, according to troopers, who maintain the case is as serious as ever.

Village officials contest troopers' numbers, saying the local investigation turned up old bone piles at the scene of the slaughter. Troopers previously told village elders that only about 15 animals had been completely wasted, Point Hope Mayor Steve Oomittuk said.

Troopers, however, were not backing off their final assessment of the carnage that took place during a legal hunt with a bag limit of five caribou per day.

Local officials found more than 100 legally harvested animals, but the nine animals they identified as clearly wasted were done so for a number of reasons.

In one case, a young hunter killed two caribou, butchered the first and cut himself while cleaning the second, he said. The hunter had to go to the clinic for treatment and could not take the animal with him.

In others, villagers inadvertently shot sickly or scrawny animals that were not edible because of parasites, bugs or infected injuries.

Villagers were still working to identify suspects and planned to discuss hunting traditions and respect for animals.

The mayor said villagers will tell troopers when they identify suspects. Troopers were not so sure.

Troopers have so far identified five suspects between 17 and 25 years old from one Point Hope hunting party, though they suspect many more were involved.

Those cases were being forwarded to prosecutors for review.