Student assignment. (requirement for course by Peter Kabai)

THE WILD REINDEER

- Rangifer tarandus-

an essay by Linn Baisgård

The wild reindeer has been in Norway since the continental ice returned 10 000 years ago. First they came, and then man followed. They were the most important food supply at that time, and the years to come.

Norway is the only country in Europe with the last remaining population of the wild mountain reindeer. Today there are approximately 35-40 000 wild reindeers living in Norway. That means that Norway has an important role in the protection of these animals. Are the wild reindeers in Norway on its way to become an endanger specie, and what do man to affect them?

The wild reindeer lives in herds and are from ancient time a nomadic animal. They travel over great areas to find food, and they can leave one pasture for up to twenty years before they will feed there again. They have different summer- and winter pastures. The wild reindeer stores fat during the summer and autumn, and lives on this during winter. And they are the only member of the deer family that lives on lichen during the winter. Any disturbances during this period will give the deer not enough time to eat, and they will use the little energy they have on running instead of resting and eating. A result of this may cause weaker animals, and a decrease in the chances for the calves to survive.

It has been said that the wild reindeer is a highly sensitive animal. It will stay away from areas with noice. But in Alaska they claimed that the wild reindeer has not been affected by the industry or any other human activity, unless for calving season. A possible cause may be that in Alaska you will still find large, untouched ground. The deer is still able to travel over great areas. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Norway. As we know, Norway is not a very large country. Building of roads, railroads and water regulations creates barriers for the animal. This will leave the wild reindeer with only limited areas, without the variation in pastures that the wild reindeer needs. According to research, this has lead to that the Norwegian wild reindeer has reduced body-size and have yearly a great variation in recruiting of calves.

The wild reindeer used to be an important hunting resource for many villages. It is still so in some villages, especially for the male population that stands for 90 % of the hunting. For those villages the meat is of great importance, and the hunting may also prevent the people from moving away.

We must not forget that the wild reindeer is also a great importance for the people using the mountains and tourism.

There has been little resource on the effect of the reindeer on the communities in Norway. Maybe little resource conclude few negative effects? Most of the resource done is to find ways to preserve the animals. And these costs are mostly covered by the annual fee the hunters have to pay. So are the wild reindeer an economical problem for the government? What can we do to prevent the wild reindeer for getting smaller areas? What can we do to not disturb them?

Questions need to be dissolved and ways needs to be found. What we know, or I know is that they are a species living among us, just this alone is a criteria for finding ways to prevent those already small areas where they live to become any smaller. People in Norway are working hard to answer these questions. Maybe you should stop and wander a bit to. Because this is not an animal that many outside those villages, and wildlife fighters in Noraway may think about. It is just a reindeer and there are many of them would some say. Thats not the case, yes there are many of them, tame ones that is.

The wild reindeer is a funny and beautiful animal to look at. A real sight in the wild. What a shame to loose them!!

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THE WILD REINDEER - Rangifer tarandus- an essay by Linn Baisgård The wild reindeer has been in Norway since the continental ice returned 10 000 years ago. First they came, and then man followed. They were the most important food supply at that time, and the years to come. Norway is the only country in Europe with the last remaining population of the wild mountain reindeer. Today there are approximately 35-40 000 wild reindeers living in Norway. That means that Norway has an important role in the protection of these animals. Are the wild reindeers in Norway on its way to become an endanger specie, and what do man to affect them? The wild reindeer lives in herds and are from ancient time a nomadic animal. They travel over great areas to find food, and they can leave one pasture for up to twenty years before they will feed there again. They have different summer- and winter pastures. The wild reindeer stores fat during the summer and autumn, and lives on this during winter. And they are the only member of the deer family that lives on lichen during the winter. Any disturbances during this period will give the deer not enough time to eat, and they will use the little energy they have on running instead of resting and eating. A result of this may cause weaker animals, and a decrease in the chances for the calves to survive. It has been said that the wild reindeer is a highly sensitive animal. It will stay away from areas with noice. But in Alaska they claimed that the wild reindeer has not been affected by the industry or any other human activity, unless for calving season. A possible cause may be that in Alaska you will still find large, untouched ground. The deer is still able to travel over great areas. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Norway. As we know, Norway is not a very large country. Building of roads, railroads and water regulations creates barriers for the animal. This will leave the wild reindeer with only limited areas, without the variation in pastures that the wild reindeer needs. According to research, this has lead to that the Norwegian wild reindeer has reduced body-size and have yearly a great variation in recruiting of calves. The wild reindeer used to be an important hunting resource for many villages. It is still so in some villages, especially for the male population that stands for 90 % of the hunting. For those villages the meat is of great importance, and the hunting may also prevent the people from moving away. We must not forget that the wild reindeer is also a great importance for the people using the mountains and tourism. There has been little resource on the effect of the reindeer on the communities in Norway. Maybe little resource conclude few negative effects? Most of the resource done is to find ways to preserve the animals. And these costs are mostly covered by the annual fee the hunters have to pay. So are the wild reindeer an economical problem for the government? What can we do to prevent the wild reindeer for getting smaller areas? What can we do to not disturb them? Questions need to be dissolved and ways needs to be found. What we know, or I know is that they are a species living among us, just this alone is a criteria for finding ways to prevent those already small areas where they live to become any smaller. People in Norway are working hard to answer these questions. Maybe you should stop and wander a bit to. Because this is not an animal that many outside those villages, and wildlife fighters in Noraway may think about. It is just a reindeer and there are many of them would some say. Thats not the case, yes there are many of them, tame ones that is. The wild reindeer is a funny and beautiful animal to look at. A real sight in the wild. What a shame to loose them!!

References?
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