Is a narwhal's population low

Answer 1

Yes, the narwhal population is a matter of concern to scientists. Estimates over the past five years range from 45,000 to 75,000. One problem is the challenge of an exact count of narwhal numbers. The narwhal lives in Arctic waters. So there are the challenges of accessibility and of weather when it comes to precise tallies of the narwhal population. Additionally, there are concerns over the human hunt for the narwhal. Narwhal body parts fill a longstanding need and hold a traditional role in Inuit culture. Because of these cultural connections, Narwhals are hunted by the Inuit. But also because of these cultural connections, the Inuit hunt tends not to get out of hand. In other words, the Inuit don't tend to hunt narwhals to the brink of extinction. They take just what they need, so that there always will be narwhals to fill the narwhal niche in Inuit culture. The same can't be said of other narwhal hunters. For example, other hunters may kill the narwhal just for its tusk. Such hunting tends to be uncontrolled. It may be carried out in such an unregulated way that the narwhal population may drop to alarmingly low numbers.

Answer 2

Yes, narwhals are considered near threatened by the IUCN due to threats like climate change, habitat loss, and hunting. However, specific population numbers are difficult to estimate accurately.