Even Santa uses an app to find reindeer
Modern technology is a gift for breeders keeping track of their animals in the remote and snowy forests of Finland
ROVANIEMI, Finland: Rudolph and friends no longer need to rely on the famous reindeer’s red nose to avoid getting lost. Now they have wireless technology.
To keep track of their animals in Lapland, Northern Finland’s vast and remote snow-covered forests, reindeer herders are turning to technology by fitting them with internet-connected collars.
Herders who previously spent weeks searching for their reindeer in sub-zero wilderness can now instantly see where they are on a mobile app that receives up-to-date location data.
“In all sectors of society, this (tech)
efficiency is playing a big role. It’s the same in reindeer husbandry,” said Seppo Koivisto, whose hundreds of reindeer roam Lapland’s 4 000km2 Palojarvi District.
Lapland’s reindeer are the main source of livelihood for 1 500 herders, so there’s high interest in technology that can help manage them.
Koivisto is using the latest generation of wireless collars, made possible by a group that includes Finland’s Reindeer Herding Association and Helsinki-based communications firm Digita.
“We have fewer workers, so their
actions should be more and more efficient all the time, and this technology lets them do that,” said Koivisto.
Since he started using the technology, he has had to hire only half the usual number of workers.
The technology can also help herders account for attacks from predators such as wolverines and lynx
that roam across the Russian border.
At least 5 000 reindeer are killed every year, according to the herding association. Most that die in Lapland’s forests are never found.
Koivisto says he loses about 8% of his herd annually.
The collars, which use GPS satellite positioning and special long-distance
wireless networks, help herders find reindeer corpses so they can claim valuable compensation from the Finnish government.
If a collar-fitted reindeer doesn’t move after about four hours, its icon changes from green to red on the app, signalling a potential attack.
To best locate groups of reindeer,
which are bred for their meat, milk and fur, the trackers are fitted on the herd’s female leader.
“In the old days, we roughly knew reindeer locations, in which part of the district they were,” said herder Jarno Konttaniemi. “But today, with this technology, we know exactly where they are.” |
In all sectors of society, tech efficiency is playing a big role. It’s the same in reindeer husbandry
Seppo Koivisto Reindeer breeder