Many reindeer calves die from disease in Hardangervidda because human activities are pushing them together in a small area, according to a veterinarian.
Reindeer nose botfly and foot rot are among the diseases that are now raging among the reindeer herds in the national park, writes NRK.
The cause of the disease outbreak is that the animals are compressed in small areas. Tourist trails, construction of cabins and increase of human traffic in Hardangervidda are blamed for the wild reindeer clumping together.
This is stated in an article written by veterinarian Kjell Handeland on behalf of the Veterinary Institute.
He believes that foot rot has killed nearly 1,000 animals since the summer. Calves are particularly vulnerable.
“We need to weigh the consideration of animal health against how freely humans are allowed to act in the mountains,” says Handeland.
At the same time, the calves in Hardangervidda have very low weight compared to calves in other wild reindeer areas.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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