Wild forest reindeer in Vodlozero national park

Wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus Lonnb.) is a subspecies of wild reindeer widespread in Northwest Europeanrussia and in Finland. They are included in the Red Data Books of the Republic of Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region as well as in the Red Data Book of Fennoscandia. Since the beginning of the XXth century the size of the wild forest reindeer population and their distribution area have greatly declined. The main reasons for the decline in the number of reindeer are illegal hunting, damage and reduction of reindeer lichen grounds, and a reduced number of predators. At present the southernmost reindeer habitat in Karelia is the territory of Vodlozero National Park. The preservation of this reindeer aggregation was facilitated by the protection regime of this specially protected nature conservation area of federal significance administered by the state inspectorate for the protection of the national park territory. The counts of forest reindeer on big areas are carried out using the method of winter route counting, but the errors obtained with the use of this method do not allow to objectively assess their number. The use of the method of counting reindeer herds by traces and encounters made it possible to assess the number of reindeer on the territory of Vodlozero Park, which amounts to 80-120 individuals, about 100 of them living in the Arhangelsk region part of the park. The strengthening of reindeer protection and continuous monitoring of their number all over the area of their habitat will allow to increase the size of wild forest reindeer population.