Normally, snow would be deep in the area west of Lillhärdal in Härjedalen, where reindeer herders Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää and her partner Henrik have their reindeer, but this year most of the snow has already disappeared in March. According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää described that without snow, there are no possibilities to track the reindeer, which means a lot of extra work because the animals must be gathered when it is time to move to the summer grazing grounds up in the mountains. The exact date in March when most of the snow disappeared has not been specified, and it is unclear how many reindeer are affected by the early snowmelt.
In winter, the Sami want the reindeer to be as still as possible to save energy, but now the animals are spreading over large areas because they have an easier time moving. The warmth also means increased risks, not only for the reindeer, with long-term impacts on herding in the region remaining uncertain. Recently, one of the reindeer herders from Mittådalens sameby was involved in an incident that could have ended badly.
If we have no snow, we have no possibilities to track the reindeer.
According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää described that due to weak ice, when moving reindeer across a dammed lake, a reindeer herder went through the ice with his snowmobile. The reindeer herder survived but had to use a helicopter to get the snowmobile up, which was hanging on the ice edge. The name of the reindeer herder and the exact location of the dammed lake have not been disclosed.
Yes, due to the weak ice. When we moved the reindeer across a dammed lake, a reindeer herder went through the ice with his snowmobile.
It was really scary.