Reindeer have been associated with the festive season for over two hundred years. A poem written in the 1800s described a reindeer pulling Santa Claus over chimney tops and through expanses of snow. Sadly, this enchanting folk story has been used to exploit these beautiful animals. Every year, reindeer are used to parade down busy streets, stand in small pens in shopping centres and garden centres, and pull Santa’s sleigh.
Animals do not belong in festive events or displays any more than they belong in circuses or zoos. A 2023 report by Dr Tayla Hammond, commissioned by OneKind, details the experiences of reindeer at festive events and in captivity, where they spend the rest of the year.
The evidence shows that the wild conditions reindeer are genetically built for are incredibly difficult to replicate in captivity, creating a host of health and welfare issues. These include weight loss, poor body weight, muscle wastage and general malaise.
Reindeer are adapted to roam for miles, nibbling on lichen and herbs, existing in cold climates and living in herds. These behaviours are very different to those of reindeer kept in captivity and taken to events – they are fed an unnatural diet, confined to small spaces, transported long distances and kept in small numbers. And the event itself causes stress and fear: crowds, unfamiliar noise and flashing cameras can all lead to physical and mental fatigue, even death.
Because of their mythical image, many people want to see a reindeer in person. These events are packaged as providing a ‘magical moment’ for humans – but it is not magical for the reindeer.
To serve Christmas demand, reindeer are exposed to the stress of events and then live the rest of the year in captivity. This existence is a far cry from the lives they should be living in the wild. If we truly want reindeer to live in the magical way of our imaginations – one of freedom, snowy landscapes and peaceful wilderness – we must let them live in the wild.
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