Norway’s reindeer face new threat
22nd September 2012
Previously, Norway’s reindeer have faced threats in the north from habitat loss. Now its southern herds are threatened by snow-kiting, a new extreme snow sport
Spotting a reindeer herd in southern Norway’s alpine regions can make a good wilderness trip great. Majestic and photogenic, they also scare easily as a new study into their reactions to snow sports proves.
Thousands of annual visitors head on winter holidays to Norway, where snow-kiting is thought to be the country’s fastest growing snow sport. It’s similar to kite-surfing, in that a skier is pulled along by a kite.
The recent study reveals that reindeer are more frightened by snow-kiting than by skiing as the kite, visible from further afield, is perceived as a bigger threat. The study measured the animals’ distance from the skier or kiter; how far they fled; and how long the flight response lasted.
Projected behavioural patterns suggest that the reindeer’s habitat and feeding times might decrease by up to 7.5% if skier numbers rise, at which point the reindeer might seek refuge away from the trails.
The study, carried out in the Norefjell-Reinsjøfjell region and published in the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, suggests the sport could have ‘very negative population consequences’. This confirms the fears of regional wildlife managers, though there are no current plans to regulate the activity.
Anne Stine Mathisen of Contrast Adventure, which runs wildlife tours in the region, said: “Snow-kiting is done during the winter and early summer months. With reindeer having their calves in April and May, this is a period where we should be even more careful. Wild reindeer have lived in the mountains for about 10,000 years. If they get scared, this might begin to change their regular paths.”