Reindeer struggling to stay cool as unusual heat hits northern Finland
A pair of enterprising reindeer hit the beach in northern Finland last Tuesday as the mercury rose to 28 degrees Celsius. The free-range deer cooled down at the Ounaskoski beach in Rovaniemi, the largest city in Finnish Lapland.
“Many people took photos and it didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. Children were playing nearby and that didn’t disturb them either,” said Johanna Koivisto, who snapped a picture of the resting duo.
Koivisto said she wasn’t surprised to see reindeer at Ounaskoski, as she had seen the animals there the previous summer, too. In other words, it was just a normal day at the beach in Rovaniemi.
Reindeer in Lapland have had difficulties coping with the abnormally high temperatures.
The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported earlier this week of reindeer “queuing at the Kela office”, after a group of deer gathered outside the social benefits agency’s location in the Lapland village of Inari to stand in the shade.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Heat warning issued for 7 communities in Canada’s Northwest Territories, CBC News
Finland: Cooler summer weather has positive effects in Finland, Yle News
Norway: Temperatures on Svalbard have been above normal for 100 straight months, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Arctic summer 2019: record heat, dramatic ice loss and raging wildfires, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Small fires break out due to dry conditions, Radio Sweden
United States: Temperatures nearing all-time records in Southcentral Alaska, Alaska Public Media
