Turn A Blind Eye/
Wild Ones
The sun is setting on the horizon, as a herd of reindeer passes in front. Last one in line is a bull with only one working eye, and who’s antlers have seen many fights this season.
When thinking about the most exciting thing in Norwegian national parks, many think of pointy peaks, glaciers and clear blue lakes. But what makes the mountains really alive is their spirit: the last wild reindeer herds of Europe.
These animals live mostly secretly, far away from human traffic and impact. At least as much as they can. What we do, does harm them, and it comes ever closer.
For millennia, the wild reindeer herds have made it possible for humans to survive, by supplying our species with something to eat, something to make clothing and tools from. Without the reindeer, the human species would have been unable to venture further and further north following the retreating ice sheet. It is there for everyone to see, that our species are bound by a long and shared history. Because of that though, it might not come as a surprise that our presence stresses wild reindeer and makes their life quite a bit harder.
Ever more numerous roads make the mountains more accessible for us, but they fragment the reindeers home ranges. Modern cabin fields with access roads, running water and electricity, that remind more of a holiday home park than real cabins, are another problem. With every step marketed as bringing us closer to nature, we are actually pushing nature to the brink.
Whoever wants to plan his future outdoor activities in the mountains and wants to take in consideration how he could be interrupting the wild reindeer, should check out the information by the Norwegian Reindeer Centre: https://villrein.no/