Reindeer Herding Welfare and Indigenous Practice

Reindeer herding by indigenous Sami people and others in the Arctic has cultural importance alongside welfare implications. Understanding the welfare of reindeer in herding systems respects both animal welfare and indigenous rights.

Key Facts

Approximately 2.5 million reindeer are herded across Scandinavia, Russia, and North America by indigenous peoples
Sami reindeer herding is recognised as an indigenous cultural right in Norway, Sweden, and Finland
Climate change is causing ice crusting that prevents reindeer from accessing lichen causing starvation events
Reindeer roundups using helicopters and ATVs cause acute stress in semi-wild animals unaccustomed to intense human contact
Supplementary feeding during severe winters is increasingly required to prevent mass starvation
Predation by wolves and wolverines restored to Scandinavian ecosystems creates welfare conflicts for reindeer herders
Traditional Sami knowledge of reindeer welfare spans centuries and is increasingly integrated with veterinary science

Welfare Considerations

Reindeer herding welfare involves understanding animals that are semi-wild rather than domesticated, maintained in vast open landscapes with significant freedom of movement for most of the year. The welfare challenges are primarily episodic: acute stress during roundups using mechanical chase methods, starvation events during ice crust formation, and predation by recovered predator populations. Climate change is increasing starvation risk by altering ice formation patterns that prevent access to forage. Traditional knowledge systems developed over millennia include understanding of reindeer behaviour and stress signals that complement veterinary welfare science. Supporting indigenous herding communities to adapt to climate change while maintaining welfare standards requires both resource support and genuine respect for traditional ecological knowledge.

What You Can Do

Support climate change mitigation policies that protect Arctic and subarctic reindeer grazing ecosystems
Advocate for supplementary feeding support programmes for herders during climate-driven starvation events
Engage respectfully with indigenous reindeer herding communities and their welfare knowledge systems
Support research integrating traditional knowledge with veterinary welfare science for reindeer management
Donate to organisations supporting indigenous herding communities adapting to climate change
Learn about the complex welfare, cultural, and environmental dimensions of Arctic reindeer herding