Reindeer escaping into Russia leave losses that cannot be measured in money

Reindeer that stray from Finland into Russia cannot be recovered in some areas, causing losses of more than 10,000 euros for a single reindeer herding cooperative, Yle reports.

Five reindeer from the Näljänkä cooperative in Kainuu crossed into Russia last summer. The cooperative’s reindeer herder Jari Heikkinen said he is not aware of any animals currently on the other side of the border, but the cooperative has no permission to retrieve them.

According to Heikkinen, the situation in Kainuu differs from that in Lapland because different officials make decisions on the Russian side of the border.

Reindeer can cross the border if a bear, moose or storm damages the barrier fence. Ensio Keränen, the reindeer herder of the Halla cooperative in Suomussalmi, said that when a bear creates a hole in the fence, the reindeer can find their way through it.

“There are bears in Kainuu. They roam around the fences looking for food. The Border Guard reacts immediately, and the fence workers go to inspect the situation,” Keränen said.

Five reindeer from Halla are believed to have crossed the eastern border last winter. A tracking collar on a reindeer that died near the border began to signal, but even the collar could not be retrieved from Russia.

Attempts by the two Kainuu cooperatives and the border authorities to recover the reindeer have failed. Keränen said meetings with Russian officials had sometimes been agreed on, but were later cancelled by the Russian side.

Jyrki Säkkinen, a border surveillance officer at the headquarters of the Kainuu Border Guard District, said the Border Guard had no explanation for why the animals could not be recovered. The last successful retrieval of a reindeer from Russia took place in 2023, he said.

Fence protects the reindeer herding area

In Lapland, only individual reindeer are known to have crossed into Russia, and those animals have been recovered. However, there are concerns that a larger herd could escape if the barrier fence is damaged.

Hanna Nurmi, executive director of the Reindeer Herders’ Association, said an old agreement between Finnish and Russian border authorities had so far worked. She warned, however, that there was a risk of a larger herd crossing the border and being lost.

“That is why the reindeer barrier fence along the eastern border is important,” Nurmi said.

The official fence is maintained by the Finnish state. The Reindeer Herders’ Association is responsible for its maintenance and monitoring, while upkeep and repairs cost slightly more than one million euros a year. The fence employs around 50 people, and inspectors check their assigned sections monthly. The Border Guard informs them if, for example, a bear has damaged the fence.

Nurmi said the value of a reindeer cannot be measured in money alone. Compensation values are set out in the game damage law, but the loss of a female reindeer also means the loss of several years of future calves, as it takes years for a calf to grow into a productive female.

If 30 reindeer were lost to Russia, as has happened on the Norwegian border, and some of them were female, the losses could rise to tens of thousands of euros.

Norway’s public broadcaster NRK reported last week that 30 reindeer had crossed into Russia. They cannot be recovered because the reindeer herders have not been granted visas. The herders interviewed by NRK criticised the Norwegian-Russian fence for not being dense enough.