CASE STUDY

The species Rangifer tarandus*

2 Reindeer and caribou I

. Widely hunted in Alaska, Canada, some parts of Greenland, and Russia, caribou and wild reindeer provide a consistent and predictable food supply in regions where there are few alternatives5,6

. Reindeer husbandry and the harvesting of II

caribou and wild reindeer also contribute significantly to regional northern economies. An estimated 250,000–300,000 caribou and wild reindeer are harvested annually across the Arctic7

.

With 5.5 million caribou and wild Rangifer existing across the circumpolar north, it does not reach the threshold to trigger listing on the IUCN Red List of endangered species8

The seven sub-species of Rangifer tarandus occupy different Arctic habitats ranging from sub-Arctic boreal forests to the tundra of high-latitude Arctic islands, and play a key role in maintaining Arctic biodiversity. Both wild and herded animals move seasonally between summer and winter habitats1

. Summer grazing can enrich nutrient-limited Arctic

, and caribou and reindeer populations support the existence of predators such as wolves and bears3

ecosystems2 .

Caribou and reindeer are highly valued by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic. The animals are tied to the cultural identity of many northern peoples, and contribute

50 PROTECTING ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY

* The reindeer of Eurasia and caribou of North America belong to the same species, Rangifer tarandus, although the herding and hunting cultures that have developed in the circumpolar region are distinct. The caribou of North America has never been domesticated, whereas both wild and semi-domesticated reindeer exist across northern Eurasia.

to their social, spiritual, and economic well-being. In Eurasia, more than 20 different ethnic Indigenous Peoples are engaged in herding semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), a traditional livelihood that has been practiced for centuries4

semi-domesticated and wild reindeer of Eurasia, has a circumpolar distribution and is the most dominant large terrestrial mammal species in the Arctic1

, which includes the caribou of North America, and .

, but there

are still good reasons to be concerned as populations appear to be in global decline. Herds are naturally characterized by periods of abundance and scarcity9,10

, but such synchronized

declines at the global level are occurring alongside climate trends, increasing hunting access and efficiency and anthropogenic landscape change11

. Continued declines will have

significant negative cultural and socio-economic impacts for Indigenous Peoples12

.