Semi-domesticated reindeer in Sami and other Arctic herding systems face welfare challenges from changing climate, habitat loss, and intensified management practices.
Reindeer herding welfare exists at the intersection of indigenous cultural rights, climate adaptation, and animal welfare science. Climate-driven ice events that lock forage under hard crust cause starvation events affecting entire herds. Supplementary feeding can prevent starvation but changes reindeer behavior and welfare in its own ways. The wisdom embedded in traditional herding knowledge about reading reindeer behavior and condition is increasingly valuable as conditions become less predictable. Supporting indigenous herding communities supports both cultural continuity and animal welfare.