ABSTRACT

Free-ranging reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus sspp.) are handled for research, management or treatment of individual animals, whereas semi-domesticated reindeer are routinely handled as part of traditional husbandry. Pursuit, herding and restraint are stressful and may cause physiological and emotional distress. Reindeer and caribou are easily excitable animals, and all handling should be thoroughly planned and conducted cautiously to prevent morbidity or mortality. In general, planned herding, capture and restraint should be carried out when animals are in peak body condition, such as in late fall or winter, preferably with snow on the ground. Also, captures should be avoided in the last month of gestation, around calving and when antlers are in velvet. Due to medical or other reasons, physical restraint or chemical immobilization may have to be carried out at any time of the year, and people in charge of the operation should be prepared and trained to deal with difficult circumstances and possible complications and emergencies.