Reindeer

Reindeer is a species of deer (Rangifer tarandus) native to the Arctic and subarctic regions of northern Eurasia and North America, domesticated by circumpolar herding peoples for meat, milk, hides and as a draft animal pulling sledges. The Sami people of northern Scandinavia and Finland and various Siberian peoples, including the Nenets, Evenki and Chukchi, developed large-scale reindeer herding traditions in which semi-domesticated herds are moved seasonally between pastures, a practice that remains central to the culture and economy of the region. Unlike most fully domesticated livestock, herded reindeer typically range freely over large areas and retain much of their wild behavior, with herders managing rather than confining the animals. Reindeer husbandry today supports meat, hide and antler production across Scandinavia, Russia and parts of North America, alongside the North American caribou populations that belong to the same species but are not herded.