Global Warming On Christmas? Climate Change Threatens Reindeers

Even Santa Claus' reindeer are vulnerable to global warming. Research shows that the reindeer are producing smaller offspring in the Arctic. It seems like Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Blitzen, and Donner are smaller today than 20 years ago.

A survey was conducted for the past 16 years on the arctic island of Svalbard in Norway. The survey found that the average weight of reindeer declined by 12 percent. The decline in average weight is reportedly caused by global warming.

In a meeting in Liverpool with British Ecological Society, scientists from Britain and Norway explained how global warming contributed to the lowered average body mass in reindeer. According to the research, the rising temperatures deprive female reindeer of nutrients during their pregnancy. The winter in Svalbard usually runs for 8 months yearly which hinders grass growth from June to July.

The temperatures in the arctic increased by approximately 5 degrees Fahrenheit. While the warmer winters provide food for the reindeer, come summer, when rain is usually abundant, gives way to another impediment to their food supply. The rain that freezes in the arctic island buries their food supply.

Moreover, the erratic climate change also affects reindeer greatly. While the number of reindeer is growing, their offspring are getting smaller. In fact, the population of reindeer increased from 800 to 1,400 but the average body mass of reindeer in Svalbard, Norway has dunked from 55 kg to 48 kg since the 1990s. It is "survival of the fittest" at Svalbard amongst reindeer as weaker reindeers usually die, including the calves, the sickly, and the elderly.

It is a well-known fact that arctic temperatures are rising at a dangerous rate due to building-up of greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere. Santa Claus may not be able to save his reindeer, though, as climate change is clearly taking a toll on the reindeer.