Arctic reindeer population decimated

The population of wild reindeer, also known as caribou, has crashed by more than half in the last two decades, according to a new report

REINDEER/CARIBOU (20 monitored herds shown)
CANADA
RUSSIA
Arctic Ocean
Arctic Circle
1,000km 600 miles

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ENVIRONMENT
Changing weather and vegetation making Arctic less hospitable, with some herds down by more than 90%

Warming climate causing taller plants to dominate tundra and engulf ground level lichen that caribou eat

Rain falling on snowy ground can form frozen icy layers over grazing tundra – caribou cannot push noses through
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ESTIMATED POPULATION BY HERD* (100,000s)

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0 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10         

Current
Maximum

*Data not available on monitored herds in Norway and Iceland

Population down by 56% – from 4.7 million to around 2.1m animals – in 20 years

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Sources: NOAA Arctic Program, BBC
Picture: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS