European forest reindeer

The forest reindeer is a subspecies of reindeer and a relative of the semi-domesticated reindeer. It has longer legs, broader cloven hooves and narrower antlers than the semi-domesticated reindeer that live on the open tundra. The mountain reindeer that had adapted to life in the Lapland mountains was domesticated in the Middle Ages: even though herds of semi-domesticated reindeer roam quite freely in the reindeer management area, they are not fully wild.

The European forest reindeer on the other hand is a fully wild animal. As the name implies, it prefers forest habitats. European forest reindeer were once common in nearly all of Finland, but excessive hunting caused a local extinction a century ago. However, they survived in Russian Karelia, and some of them crossed the border back into Finland and into the Kainuu region.

European forest reindeer spend their summers and winters in different areas in order to find as much food as possible. Migrations of the herds are an important part of the forest reindeer’s annual cycle. For the winter, forest reindeer seek out dry peaty forests and rocky areas where lichen grow. Their summer pastures are located in swamps and fresh peaty forests.

Both the males and the females have antlers, with a new set grown annually. During the autumn mating season, the males fight for the females. The males then drop their antlers after the mating season is over. The females keep their antlers until May, which is when they give birth to their calves. The female may spend the summer alone with its calf, but otherwise the forest reindeer lives in herds.