Reindeer First – Why Animal Welfare Is at the Heart of Everything We Do At Reindeer Journey, sustainability is much more than environmental responsibility. While protecting nature is important to us, animal welfare is also the issue closest to our hearts and the foundation of everything we do. As a Read more
Every year, around 3500-5000 reindeer are killed in car accidents on Finnish roads. We reindeer herders have tried numerous ways to solve this problem. Every reindeer lost in traffic is not only a tragic event as such but also a financial loss for the reindeer owner. Although owners receive compensation Read more
It’s that time of year again when Santa Claus and his reindeer start to attract international attention. I often get asked questions about this, naturally, since we live here in Santa’s hometown of Rovaniemi, sharing our lives with reindeer. One of the most common questions I get is about the Read more
In the summer, reindeer may appear matted. But don’t worry, they’re doing just fine! During the warmer months, the reindeer’s thick winter coat sheds to make way for lighter summer fur. This fur comes off in larger patches, occasionally revealing the smooth, sleek summer coat underneath. As the fur transitions, Read more
The Hope of New Life Reindeer calving season has started. Newborn reindeer are running around the forests and wetlands. May is the month when most reindeer calves are born. In Sámi language May is called “reindeer calf month”. Our reindeer go near the large wetlands to give birth. There they Read more
Finland is closing its borders for a while, so our life in the reindeer farm will be calm and quiet for coming weeks. Sad it is. But we will survive. Hope you will too! This virus is like a scary movie, feeling a bit unreal and still happening in reality. Read more
Today the weather was finally suitable for pitching up our Lappish hut (Lávvu) into the forest. It will be a nice shelter, to enjoy packed lunch and warm drinks, especially in harsh weather. We got some helping hooves there as well. And Martta the Lapponian herder, of course, was supervising Read more
Last two weeks we have had so weird weather! One day it’s raining and next it’s -25 of C. As you surely can imagine, everything is completely frozen. And reindeer are searching for better grazing grounds, going to places we would prefer them not to go. Life has been quite Read more
Today we got the most wanted visitor from the forest to our yard, when one of our breeding females came to show that she is doing great and has a beautiful chunky new baby boy. Cute, isn’t he?! This doe is the mom of Stribeback, one of our sleigh reindeers. Read more
Reindeer Journey saw the light of the day when we were thinking how nice it would be to share our everyday life with the reindeer with other people.