Alaska Wildlife Troopers say their investigation into the killings and waste of caribou on the tundra near Point Hope shows that at least 120 animals were slaughtered.
About half the animals that have been confirmed to be illegally killed had been fully or partially wasted, in what investigators are calling "by far the worst case of blatant waste" they have ever seen, troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said. Troopers suspect the caribou were killed at the hands of villagers but scavenging by other animals has made confirmation of that fact difficult, she said.
Troopers got the report of the slaughter about 25 miles east of Point Hope July 16 and have been investigating since, she said. The carcasses have been found scattered across a 40-mile trail system, some in groups and others by themselves. |
