Reindeer
Today we went to the Reindeer Research Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. George Aguiar taught us a great deal about the reindeer industry in Alaska. Caribou are native to Alaska but reindeer were introduced in 1892 and arrived from Siberia. Today reindeer are raised much like cattle in the lower 48 states. This program does a great deal to help support the native population that manages reindeer herds on the Seward Peninsula.
Google Earth image highlighting Seward Peninsula
At the UAF facility they have developed a special feed for the reindeer that is a combination of barley, broom grass and fish meal, for the animals at their farm. Usually reindeer are allowed to graze freely over large areas of land. They eat various plants, grasses and shrubs in the summer and feed on lichen in the winter. This specially developed feed can also be used as a food supplement for range animals.
Today we fed a small portion of the UAF herd some lichen. Many of the reindeer ate right out of our hands in the same way that a horse would.
Enjoy the video.
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