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Reindeer

A small herd of reindeer on a snowy field

Reindeer eyes change color, putting Rudolph’s red nose in the shade, new research says

In winter, light in the northern latitudes is dim and very blue compared to summer light. Reindeer eyes have evolved to be better suited at seeing in this unique environment.

Sámi renideer herder Reiulf Aleksandersen and his son build a fence for gathering their herd on Rooksavardi, or Red Mountain, in far northern Norway.

This family is already being hurt by climate change. They might also be hurt by a solution.

Environment
Norway's reindeer head for spring pastures.

Watch these majestic reindeer in Norway make their summer migration

Technology
A Quebec City carnival-goer warms up with a cold one – Caribou on ice. Quebec consumes up to 5,000 cases of Caribou yearly, nearly all of it during the winter carnival, and most of that outdoors.

Quebec’s secret recipe for beating the cold? It’s Caribou.

Lifestyle & Belief

A French photographer travels to the Arctic north to document an ancient reindeer migration

Arts, Culture & Media

Scientists turn to dogs to track, protect endangered animals

Environment

Tracking endangered animals is a tough task. But some scientists from Washington state have an unlikely ally in highly trained, and hyper-active, dogs. The animals smell out skat, which the scientists can then analyze to make determinations about the health of a species in a given area.

North Pole reindeer in danger of extinction

Environment

The Peary caribou and the dolphin union caribous live in the shadow of the North Pole. Changing global climates have the diminutive reindeer on the verge of extinction.

Expedition Across Frozen Siberian Frontier

Arts, Culture & Media

Monday’s Geo Quiz takes us to the capital of the Russian republic of Sakha, the starting point for an expedition led by Swede Mikael Strandberg. He’s trekking across Siberia to document the traditional ways of life of the reindeer people of Siberia.

Caribou, Oil and a Changing Arctic

Hear the Docs: Living on Earth: In Search of Caribou in Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge Living on Earth: Oil & Eskimos on Alaska’s North Slope Marco Werman’s Christmas week conversation with Jonathan Mazower of Survival International about the importance of real-life reindeer for many northern people brought a flashback to my own trip to the […]

Reindeer Populations in Decline

Reindeer, also known as caribou, are in dramatic decline in the far north. Indigenous communities depend on the herds for food and as a cultural touchstone. A Canadian Innu elder doubts his tribe can survive without healthy caribou populations.