Reindeer herding by indigenous communities across Scandinavia and Russia involves complex welfare trade-offs between traditional practices and modern reindeer management challenges.
Reindeer herding welfare spans traditional indigenous practices and their disruption by climate change, predator reintroduction, and industrial development of northern landscapes. The welfare of herded reindeer depends on access to sufficient range, freedom from predator pressure, and humane handling during corralling and slaughter. Climate change is creating welfare crises through starvation events that traditional management cannot fully prevent. Supporting herding communities in adapting to climate change protects both reindeer welfare and indigenous livelihoods.