Sharp Rise in Wolf Attacks on Reindeer in Finland
Russian Wolf Hunters Conscripted Due to Ukraine War
Reindeer farms in Finland, which used to earn significant income from reindeer sleigh tourism every Christmas season, are now on high alert due to wolf attacks. As the war in Ukraine drags on, many Russian hunters who used to hunt wolves have been conscripted, leading to a surge in the wolf population now encroaching on Finland. The Finnish government is urgently recruiting hunters to combat the wolves, but there are concerns that a fundamental solution will be difficult until the war in Ukraine comes to an end.
Finland Sees Sharp Increase in Wolf Attacks on Reindeer...Up 75% from Last Year
According to CNN on December 22 (local time), Finnish reindeer farms are suffering losses from wolf attacks, making it difficult to operate reindeer sleigh tours during the Christmas season. Finland's Lapland region, especially the city of Rovaniemi, known as the home of Santa Claus, is famous for its Santa Village and reindeer sleigh tourism during the Christmas season.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the number of wolf attacks on reindeer in Finland this year reached 2,009, a 75% increase compared to 1,143 cases last year. Due to the frequent wolf attacks, reindeer farmers are concerned about a decline in the reindeer population. It takes two years for a reindeer to reach maturity, and since a female typically gives birth to only one calf per year, a significant decrease in the population would require a long time for recovery.
The manager of a reindeer farm in Lapland told CNN, "This year, a reindeer is dying every day due to wolf attacks. We fear this could be the worst Christmas season ever," adding, "Each reindeer lost results in a loss of 1,572 euros (about 2.74 million won), and with so many farms affected by wolf attacks, it is difficult to even apply for government compensation."
Wolf Population Surges in Siberia Due to Ukraine War...Crosses into Finland
The main reason for the increase in wolf attacks on reindeer is the war in Ukraine. As many wolf hunters from western Russia and Siberia have been conscripted, the number of wolves crossing into Finland has risen sharply.
According to the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, a research agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the wolf population in Finland this year stands at 430, a 45.76% increase from 295 last year. The institute analyzed wolf scat samples collected in Finland over the past 10 years and found a large amount of DNA that had not previously appeared in Finland, with a significant portion believed to belong to wolves that crossed the border from Russia.
Blackbird Group, a Finland-based military research organization, stated in a recent report that the number of Russian men enlisting in border areas such as Murmansk, which faces Finland, has increased significantly, resulting in fewer wolf hunters. John Helin, an information specialist at Blackbird Group, said, "Since last year, many men from the Finnish border region and Siberia have enlisted in the Russian military, apparently incentivized by financial rewards from the Russian government. This has also led to a significant decrease in unemployment in these regions," adding, "As many local men who used to hunt and work in forestry have joined the military, the wolf population has increased."
The Finnish government is also struggling to come up with countermeasures. Last month, it changed its policy to allow limited wolf hunting. Some professional hunters and local livestock farmers with special hunting permits are now allowed to hunt wolves. Until now, wolves had been classified as an endangered species in Finland, and hunting them was prohibited.
However, with the wolf population increasing rapidly, it is expected to be very difficult to control the wolves until the war in Ukraine ends. Katja Holmaala, a researcher at the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, told CNN, "Before the war in Ukraine, the Russian government offered large bounties for wolf hunting, which led to such intense hunting that wolves were classified as endangered. Now, the situation is the complete opposite, and since hunting has been banned in Finland for a long time, there are hardly any hunters left, making it difficult to respond."
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