Ho, ho, oh no! Reindeer populations are on the decline, according to a new study published in the Journal for Nature Conservation.
Ecosystems, economies and climates can be affected by the loss of the majestic beasts, according to Discovery News.
"Reindeer occur in the northern part of the Arctic and subarctic region," lead author Xiuxiang Meng told Discovery News. "In northern Europe (such as in Finland, Sweden and Norway), Asia (Russia, Mongolia and China) and North America (Canada and Alaska), reindeer populations have been declining for many years."
Meng, a professor at Renmin University's School of Environment and Natural Resources, and his team said there are two subspecies of reindeer: tundra reindeer and woodland reindeer. There are wild (feral) or semi-domesticated types.
Meng's study focused on reindeer in China, which has seen a reduction in population of 28 percent since the 1970s, according to Discovery News. The reindeer in China emigrated from Siberia 2,000 years ago with the Ewenki people, "the last hunting tribe of China."
The reindeer were never fully tamed by the Ewenki. The reindeer fed on their own and the Ewenki only provided basic herd needs. The Ewenki benefitted from the reindeer's meat, hides and milk.
There are at least six factors causing the decrease in reindeer population, Meng and his researchers suggest. The first problem is inbreeding. Since population numbers are low, there is a greater potential for genetic mishaps. The second factor is poaching for antlers, according to Discovery News.
The third problem causing decline in reindeer population: natural predators.
"Bears, wolves and lynx are the three main predators of reindeer, and may kill as many as a third of reindeer calves each year," the scientists noted.
Lack of breeders, changes in climate and tourism are numbers four, five and six, respectively. In order to entice tourists, reindeer herders have been encouraging reindeer to hang out where people tend to be, putting them at higher risk of being hit by cars or poached.
