Roads deadly for reindeer in Arctic Sweden
Twice as many reindeer have been killed on the roads in northern Sweden this month compared to the same period last year. And one of the main factors is climate change, according to the Swedish Sami Association.
A total of 431 reindeer have been killed on the roads of Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland and Västernorrland so far this month, double the number in the same period last year.
And with around 2,500 reindeer killed in traffic in 2017, an increase of around 1,000 since 2013, Jenny Wik Karlsson, a legal expert and CEO of the Swedish Sami Association, says reindeer herders are significantly out of pocket.
«There has been so much snow this year that the reindeer have taken to the salt covered roads, which are like candy to the animals. I feel for the reindeer and the reindeer herders who are losing a lot of money – they get compensation for slaughter but it is not enough.»
She is calling on speeding motorists to slow down and think of the reindeer.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Is climate change making the muskoxen sick on Victoria Island?, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Spot a reindeer while driving? Tap the app! Yle News
Iceland: Feature Interview – Hunting culture under stress in Arctic, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Grouse declines lead to strict hunting regulations in Arctic Norway, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Are wolves from illegal Russian kennel in Finland?, Yle News
Sweden: More wolves can be culled after Supreme Court decision, Radio Sweden
United States: Lack of sea ice has deep impact on wildlife and upcoming weather in Alaska, Alaska Dispatch News
