Karsten Heuer Knihy

The narrative explores a transformative journey as the author and his wife engage in a wildlife research project that evolves into a profound connection with nature. They learn to attune themselves to the earth and their dreams, ultimately undergoing an unexpected metamorphosis into caribou. This unique experience highlights themes of identity, connection to the natural world, and personal growth, revealing the deep bonds between humans and wildlife.

For eons, female members of the Porcupine caribou herd have made the 2,800-mile journey from their winter feeding grounds to their summer calving grounds. They once roamed borderless wilderness; now they trek from Canada, where they're protected, to the United States, where they are not. What's more, beneath the calving grounds lay vast reserves of oil. Determined to convey both the enormity of the caribous’ migration and the delicacy of their habitat, Karsten Heuer and his wife spent their honeymoon following the herd. For five months, they traveled an uncharted course on foot over mountains, through snow, and across frozen rivers, with only three semi-scheduled food drops for support. As with the caribou, Heuer and his wife faced dwindling fat reserves and stalking by ravenous grizzlies and wolves just awakened from hibernation. Both a rousing adventure story and a sober ecological meditation, Being Caribou vividly conveys this magnificent animal's world.