On the road between Rovaniemi and Kilpisjarvi, Finland, we came upon this herd of reindeer. There are three or four different breeds of reindeer that live in this part of northern Europe and western Russia. The reindeer are allowed to roam fairly freely and are rounded up twice a year for butchering and other purposes. Unlike with cattle, which have colored plastic tags on their ears identifying their ownership or the now outdated branding system used in the US, in Finland owners cut the ears of their reindeer in different patterns in order to distinguish owners. Therefore, each owner has a unique system of nicks and cuts.
Because reindeer are allowed to freely wander in some places, they cause some traffic accidents each year. We came close to hitting the first herd that we met, since we came over a hill and were surprised by them. This herd was easier to spot, and because they were in no hurry to get out of the road, we had a moment to take some photos.
Like large animals in many parts of the world (deer in Iowa, elephants in Tanzania, monkeys in northern Japan) the reindeer are not a new sight for the local people with whom I am traveling and are considered more of a nuisance than a wonderful creature to be admired.
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