A plan to reintroduce caribou, now classified as threatened under the Species at Risk Act, in Banff National Park is still in its early stages, however, key figures behind the project are conducting research in hopes of bringing back this iconic animal that once thrived in the western mountains.

Following an avalanche in 2009 that reportedly wiped out the entire remaining herd of caribou in Banff, a partnership was struck between Parks Canada, the B.C. government and the Calgary Zoo to create a captive breeding program.

All three parties are still committed to the project, but things are moving slowly and depend heavily on what facts are uncovered, said John Wilmshurst, acting resource conservation manager for Jasper National Park. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.