Reindeer travel over 300 kilometers from Suomenselkä subpopulation to Helsinki

In January 2022, the origin of a wandering forest reindeer in the Helsinki metropolitan area has been identified, according to Metsähallitus. Research conducted by Metsähallitus and the Natural Resources Institute Finland revealed that the young male reindeer came from the Suomenselkä subpopulation.

Milla Niemi, a forest reindeer expert at Metsähallitus, explained that this particular population includes animals that move in the areas of Ähtäri and Multia. A mapping service indicates that the distance from Ähtäri to Helsinki exceeds 300 kilometers, suggesting that the reindeer may have traveled hundreds of kilometers before arriving in the capital.

This result aligns well with previous observations of reindeer near Lake Päijänne and the presumed route it took. Initially, the lost animal was thought to be a reindeer, specifically an ungulate known as a tundra reindeer. The police had been investigating the ownership of the animal, which had been spotted wandering along the Hämeenlinna highway.

The animal was captured in the winter garden of Kaisaniemi in Helsinki and taken to the Korkeasaari Wildlife Hospital. There, it was confirmed to be a forest reindeer. Upon arrival at Korkeasaari, the young reindeer, weighing 57 kilograms, was stressed and in poor condition. It was later transferred to a rehabilitation enclosure in Lauhanvuori National Park before being released back into the wild.

Both reindeer and forest reindeer are rare sights in Helsinki. According to Metsähallitus, there are approximately 3,000 forest reindeer living in Kainuu and Suomenselkä.