Reindeer herded by Sami people across Scandinavia and Russia face welfare challenges from changing snow conditions, predator pressure and gathering stress.
Rain-on-snow events trap forage under impenetrable ice layers, causing starvation over days to weeks before supplementary feeding can be deployed. Predator pressure from wolves and wolverines causes chronic flight stress, disrupts herding behaviour and causes significant mortality. Gathering for marking, health checks and slaughter involves helicopter herding, corrals and handling that cause acute stress responses in semi-wild animals unused to close human contact.