Santa Better Get a Bike: Reindeer Numbers in Decline
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A well-known folk legend associated with Santa Claus says that he lives in the far north, in a land of perpetual snow. Santa Claus lives with his wife Mrs. Claus, a countless number of magical elves, and eight or nine flying reindeer. He makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behaviour ("naughty" or "nice") and that he delivers presents, including toys, candy, and other gifts to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes coal to the naughty children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the reindeer who pull his sleigh.
While inhabiting arctic tundra and northern boreal forests, this species is among the most migratory of all animals. They feed on lichens, mushrooms, grasses, horsetails and willow. Reindeer are great swimmers. They also can run up to 50mph (80.5 km/h). They have the spongy foot pads, which provide traction on summer tundra. In the winter pads harden and become covered with tufts of hair, to prevent slipping. That’s why Santa chose reindeer to pull his sleigh. But now Santa must get a bike to ride because the population of reindeers is declining rapidly.
The reindeer is a majestic animal that inhabits the frozen arctic tundra. It has adapted remarkably to a harsh, barren habitat where food is scarce much of the year. It is an excellent swimmer. Aided by a thick coat that traps air and gives good buoyancy in the water, it can easily swim across wide rivers.
The causes of the reindeer decline are straightforward: rapidly rising Arctic temperatures are throwing it out of sync with the environment in which they evolved; oil and gas development, mining, logging, and hydropower projects in the Far North are impinging on the caribou’s range; and, though not a major factor, hunting is further depleting already beleaguered caribou populations.
Unfortunately, Santa Claus isn't the only one who should be concerned about the decline in numbers for reindeer. Indigenous peoples, who have been living sustainably with the animals for generations -- in fact, they've become an important part of their culture. Setting aside land, particularly in the Canadian boreal, may be the best solution to ensure a healthy population exists in the years to come for future generations to marvel over.
Via: treehugger
