Cairngorm reindeer herd states case against anti-paraders
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Should reindeer be banned from pulling Santa through the Highlands?
The extraordinary suggestion came this week from 11 different animal welfare charities in an open letter to 225 organisations, asking them to cease the use of live reindeer in their Christmas celebrations.
The open letter was also sent to local authorities across the UK to ask that they review their policy on the use of reindeer in events.
But what do the real experts think?
The Strathy asked Tilly Smith to respond to the main claims made by the charities that: the unnatural environment and lack of agency associated with these events are likely to lead to distress and a state of poor welfare; lack of agency and exposure to unrelenting stressors may lead to the development of depression in the animals; constant, unfamiliar and unpredictable interaction with the public through petting and feeding has the potential to be stressful for reindeer.
Animal welfare charities, OneKind, Animal Aid, Born Free and Freedom for Animals are leading the campaign to end live reindeer displays across the UK.
OneKind Campaigner, Eve Massie Bishop said: “This report confirms what we have been saying for years; reindeer used in Christmas events across the UK are likely to be suffering from psychological distress and in a state of poor welfare. We simply cannot justify the suffering of these animals for our entertainment.
“We would urge people not to visit any events that exploit these animals for entertainment and instead celebrate the festivities at animal-friendly events. As the report highlights, reindeer are sentient beings with complex needs. They are not Christmas props."
But Tilly Smith, of the Cairngorms' own reindeer herd at Rothiemurchus, told the Strathy: "Reindeer are referred to in the letter as a wild animal, which become stressed when in close contact with people. This shows a complete misunderstanding of reindeer, on the contrary, reindeer were one of the first species to be domesticated, and as the indigenous people of the Arctic still live by their animals, they have developed a unique relationship with people.
"In a similar way to how a dog will seek out human company, our reindeer are comfortable around people, choosing to spend time with us and coming to a call, even when roaming completely free on the mountains.
"At home in the Cairngorms, thousands of people come to meet our herd in their natural habitat each year, where the reindeer freely choose to mingle and interact. As a result of domestication, reindeer are docile and placid animals, they travel well and are at ease with the events they do. Taking a well trained and habituated reindeer, in the company of other members of the herd, into a town is no different to taking a pet dog into the same situation."
THE CAMPAIGNERS' OPEN LETTER
As we approach the festive season, preparations for the Christmas celebrations will begin to take place throughout the UK. Sadly, a number of festive events will feature live reindeer despite the detrimental effects this will have on the animals’ welfare.
We, the undersigned, urge venues and local authorities to cease using reindeer in their Christmas events, following the release of a new report that highlights the negative welfare impacts of these events on reindeer.
The new report, The welfare needs of captive reindeer used for entertainment events in the UK: a review, recommends that the use of reindeer in entertainment events is ceased, stating that the unnatural environments and lack of agency (the ability of an animal to make free choices or have control over aspects of their lives) associated with these events are likely to lead to psychological distress and a state of poor welfare.
The report, which explores the potential welfare issues of using reindeer in Christmas celebrations, outlines the following concerns:
• The unnatural environment and lack of agency associated with these events are likely to lead to distress and a state of poor welfare.
• Lack of agency and exposure to unrelenting stressors may lead to the development of learned helplessness.
• The constant, unfamiliar and unpredictable interaction with the public through petting and feeding has the potential to be stressful for reindeer.
• The event environment presents a variety of stimuli that may be perceived as threats, including loud noises, human ‘predators’ and other animals. While reindeer may express vigilance in response to these threats, they have limited agency to act upon them, thus leading to a state of fear.
• Long distance travel, repeated loading and unloading and pulling Santa’s sleigh can cause physical and mental fatigue.
• The stress of transportation and the event environment can compromise immune system function, making them more susceptible to disease and infection.
• During such events, reindeer have limited opportunities to undertake natural behavioural interactions with the environment and other animals.
The report also highlights welfare concerns for reindeer kept in captivity. Dr Tayla Hammond, the author of the report, states that reindeer are harder to keep in captivity than other ruminants. She also highlights that for the past decade, veterinarians have voiced concern over the lack of suitability of reindeer for the type of domestication seen in the UK, particularly for those managed by private owners for use in entertainment shows, noting that poor body weight, weight loss, muscle atrophy and general malaise are commonly reported problems in captive reindeer.
We would urge venues and councils to cease using live reindeer in their Christmas events and for local authorities to cease granting permission for these events on council-owned land.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Elliot, Director, OneKind
Iain Green, Director, Animal Aid
Jan Creamer, President, Animal Defenders International
Rachel Hevesi, Director, Wild Futures
Elisa Allen, Vice President of Programmes and Operations, PETA
Dr Ben Sturgeon, CEO Crustacean Compassion
Dr Mark Jones, Head of Policy, Born Free
Dr Andrew Kelly, Director, Freedom For Animals
Claire Bass, Senior Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, Humane Society International/UK
Andy Knott MBE, CEO, League Against Cruel Sports
Jaysukh Mehta Mahavir Trust
TILLY SMITH RESPONDS
As the open letter contains several inaccuracies, we wanted to take this opportunity to correct these errors and perhaps help put the public’s mind at rest that our reindeer are happy in their work. Reindeer are referred to in the letter as a wild animal, which become stressed when in close contact with people. This shows a complete misunderstanding of reindeer, as to the contrary, reindeer were one of the first species to be domesticated, and as the indigenous people of the Arctic still live by their animals, they have developed a unique relationship with people.
In a similar way to how a dog will seek out human company, our reindeer are comfortable around people, choosing to spend time with us and coming to a call, even when roaming completely free on the mountains.
At home in the Cairngorms, thousands of people come to meet our herd in their natural habitat each year, where the reindeer freely choose to mingle and interact. As a result of domestication, reindeer are docile and placid animals, they travel well and are at ease with the events they do. Taking a well trained and habituated reindeer, in the company of other members of the herd, into a town is no different to taking a pet dog into the same situation.
The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd was established in 1952 as the Scottish Highlands were recognised by Swedish Sami, Mikel Utsi, as their natural habitat. We control the breeding of the herd to ensure that our reindeer are sustainable on the 10,000 acres of mountain land on which they graze.
We work closely with the herd – every reindeer has a name, we know their individual personalities, and they will live out their entire natural life with us. We don't farm them for meat and never sell them on. Over the festive period we take some of our trained reindeer on Christmas tour, helping to generate an income to maintain their natural lifestyle, and have done for over 25 years.
Each reindeer will only do a few events before returning to the mountains. For the rest of the year, like the majority of the herd, they are roaming free on the mountainside. Many of our reindeer never go on events and instead hold the fort back at home.
As with any animal, it is important for reindeer to be gradually introduced to new sights and sounds, in a similar way to how a young puppy would be socialised and gradually introduced to different experiences. For this reason, we work with our calves from a young age, using patience and food rewards to gently acclimatise them to wearing a head collar and they quickly become extremely tame and confident.
When they join a team on events, they follow the relaxed example of the older reindeer, and remain calm and settled. Indicators of stress such as loss of appetite and restlessness are never seen in our reindeer, and indeed at events they are frequently relaxed enough to lie down and go to sleep – something a prey animal would never do if they felt at all concerned.
When away from home they are always looked after by handlers who know them well and work with them year-round, which puts the reindeer at ease and means we can monitor closely for any change in behaviour.
Whilst there has been an increase in recent years of reindeer being imported to the UK for commercial use at Christmas events, living in a captive state for the rest of the year, which we would also disagree with, our herd are not bred for this purpose.
Christmas events are merely a way that we can help sustain the herd at home, and also bring some joy to those who would never have the opportunity to see the reindeer otherwise. We never “dispose” of our reindeer once they mature – they are part of the herd for the rest of their lives. On the contrary, we ourselves have re-homed reindeer which private keepers are unable to keep any longer, welcoming them into the herd despite the fact that they may never take part in Christmas events.
We encourage anyone who is interested or has concerns to come and see the reindeer for themselves out on the mountainside. We have nothing to hide and are proud of our reindeer and our welfare.
Yours sincerely
Tilly Smith
The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd
