Info prior to research
Facilities
Our main animal handling facility is a large heated barn, and is set up to safely move and handle all of our animals. We have two different squeeze systems, one for reindeer and one for muskoxen. Each allows for the animal to be safely immobilized and handled. Our animals are trained to come into the squeeze to allow for low-stress handling. Each squeeze also has accurate weight bars underneath.
The facility also includes a pharmacy, and different pens for animals to be anesthetized in .
Our Calf Barn is only actively used during the summer month, and is used for storage. It has no heat but it equipped with electricity. It has a layout and small squeeze that is perfect for handling and training our muskox calves.
The Blake house has rooms set up to accommodate visiting researchers and students. It is equipped with 3 bedrooms, a dry, fully stocked kitchen, living space, and office space. Interested in doing research at LARS? Ask us about staying on the property!
The education hall is the main hub of the farm. It houses our classroom, as well as our shower and laundry facilities.
The newest addition to LARS is the isolation facility. It includes a feed connex, office space, and a barn containment unit.
The Yakutia house is set up as office space for the LARS staff.
Our 130 acre facility has 10+ fenced pastures and several holding pens each equipped with feeding and watering stations. We can modify and create pens to facilitate individual research projects.
Animal Inventories
We currently have approximately 40 muskox, 40 reindeer, and 10 wood bison available to support research projects. We have a slightly higher ratio of females and ages range from neonates (in spring) to 15 years old. We produced 3-5 offspring of each species each year.
Training
All researchers (ÃÛÌÒTV and non-ÃÛÌÒTV) will need to complete animal care and use training prior to beginning research at LARS. Training, policies and procedures are administered by ÃÛÌÒTV’s Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC). More information can be found on the IACUC website. LARS staff can help prospective researchers navigate necessary training and approvals.
Fees
Animal use, and shared services, space, equipment, supplies, and expertise are provided on a fee-for-service basis (usually in the form of a recharge rate). LARS tracks costs associated with day-to-day animal use and care to calculate fixed per diem rates and fees. The following items are covered in our fixed per diem rates and fees: Animal handling, Animals food/water/bedding, Personnel expenses, Basic veterinary care and diagnostics, Training, Personal Protective Equipment, Cleaning, and Minor maintenance. Additional fees may be applied for specialized services (animal transport, altered diets, major pen modifications, successive animal handling during one day) and specialized veterinary support (invasive procedures and surgery, modified treatments, medication, and supply purchases).
Researcher support
In addition to animal husbandry, LARS has technicians and veterinarians that can assist with research design, proposal development, training protocols and approval, data collection, and budget consultation. Our common services include animal measurements, sampling (feces, urine, blood, tissue), diet adjustments, physiological metrics, behavior monitoring, device testing, and other relevant record keeping.
Ready to start conducting research at LARS? Please complete this . LARS staff will review the form and contact you about next steps.
Contact LARS Director, Dr. Todd Brinkman, tjbrinkman@alaska.edu
Current Projects
A sample of the projects happening at LARS
Testing video collar performance on wood bison to assess diet (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
The effects of snow dynamics and strength on reindeer and muskox movement (Colorado State University)
Integrating genomics and 3D shape to explore novel anatomy in hoofed mammals (Baruch College, City University of New York)