Effect of winter pasture on calf body weight and survival rates among reindeer Rangifer tarandus in Central Norway

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A herd of semi-domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus in Central Norway, which was experiencing considerable calf mortality as a result of predation, was chosen for an investigation into the effects that winter conditions have on the summer weight of calves. The relationship between herding activity during the calving period and summer mortality was also studied. The reindeer herd was divided into three sub-herds at the beginning of December 1995. One part of the original herd was kept on the Norwegian mainland and the other two sub-herds were taken to the islands of Otteroya and Vikna. By late July 1996, the mainland sub-herd was found to have not only significantly fewer calves per adult hind (0.35) than the two other sub-herds (0.75), but also lighter calves. After attaching radio transmitters to 241 calves, the main cause of mortality was found to be predation (>68%), however calf weight was not found to influence the risk of predation on calves. Our results indicate that the winter and spring fitness of hinds may considerably affect the pre- and post-natal survival of calves. The effects of predator abundance and herding activity on calf mortality are also discussed.
野生生物保護学会の論文