A herd of just 25 caribou calves released on a remote Alaskan island in 1958 to provide emergency meat for US military personnel eventually grew to 2,750 animals by 2005. The rapid growth placed heavy pressure on the fragile ecosystem of the Aleutian Islands. The story of the herd has since become an example of how introducing animals for a short-term purpose can create serious environmental problems when conditions change. The population history has been documented in wildlife management reports from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), along with studies by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Geological Survey (USGS). Historical records show that the first transplant was a joint effort by the US Navy, Air Force, Marines and wildlife experts. During the Cold War, military planners feared that remote bases could be cut off from regular supply routes. To prepare for such a situation, officials decided to establish a self-sustaining source of meat on Adak Island in the central Aleutian Islands.
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