FACTOID:  The caribou herd in the Prudhoe Bay area is now significantly larger than it was before development of the North Slope oil production facilities. Since 1978, the herd has increased from approximately 6,000 to 19,700 in 2000. A major contributing factor to the population increase is that the caribou are calving near, in and among the production facilities, as wolves, their principal preditor, steer clear of humans.