An unusually high number of reindeer have died of unexplained causes on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The deaths were discovered during an annual count in two valleys located approximately 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole.
Total recently deceased animals found, including 11 females of reproductive age and two adult males.
The office of the regional governor of Svalbard, Norway, stated that the high number of dead reindeer on the Arctic archipelago is extremely unusual for the summer season. The office noted it is very unusual for reproductive females and adult males to die during the summer.
The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) stated that there are no clear indications and no concrete hypothesis to explain the deaths. Researcher Vebjorn Veiberg of NINA noted that while the youngest and oldest animals typically die in winter, these dead reindeer were in the strongest and most fertile phase of their lives.
Svalbard Population and Context
The archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, has a land area approximately twice the size of Belgium. Approximately 22,000 reindeer live on the archipelago, a population seven times the size of the human population on the islands.
Typical life expectancy for reindeer in the wild, according to one source.
