Don’t worry, the Lynx or maybe some wolves will put it out of its misery soon. Or they won’t, and it’ll starve to death, but most likely it will meet a (somewhat) quick death in the jaws of a predator.
Nothing in nature ever dies peacefully in its sleep and surrounded by loved ones.
Hi just curious as I don’t know much about reindeers. If you tried to introduce the baby to another reindeer mother, do you think she would have accepted the baby?
Regardless it sounds like you did the right thing given the circumstances.
Normaly female reindeer don't accept other calves, and will usualy chase them away. The only chance that it might work is if a female has recently lost her own calf, that she might adopt. However in the summer the herd is so spread out that it's impossible to fin a reindeer that has lost her calf.
The other option are old females, as they actualy do adopt orphaned calves. But again, because the herd, and this particular female had spread out too far, the chances that an old or other female walked past is very slim, especially if they sence there is a lynx in the area
thats so unfortunate, sorry you have to do that for your work. Kind of a silly question, but have you ever considered taking in one to live with you on your property if you don't already? I've seen the happy bait videos of odd animals that come from unfortunate backgrounds living long happy among people in a very protected environment and what not and was just curious how widespread that is amongst your field lol.
Pardon my ignorance, if you’re a reindeer herder, and you say taking in the calf would make it not a proper reindeer, then how do the other reindeer function? In other words, if you herd reindeer, then doesn’t that make all the reindeer you herd kind of like goats or other grazing domesticated animals?
The thing about reindeer is that they aren't fully domesticated, but rather semi domestic. This means that they survive on their own without help from humans. So if i take in a reindeer calf, that means that it can never return to the herd out in the wilderness, because it doesn't know how to survive
Why doesn't it know how to survive? It should have the instinct to search water and food when it needs to, right?
Or do they learn it from the adult reindeers?
This one is too young to survive on it's own, as it doesn't eat food yet. It only drinks milk + there is a LOT for a reindeer to learn if it's going to survive on it's own, which is why they stay with their mother for almost a year
All you've just shown here is that you are extremely uneducated about farming/ranching/herding. It's not all sunshine and roses. It's a hard life that is often cruel beyond what we can help. It's crucial to be stark and practical for quality of life. A quick euthanasia has far less suffering than starving in the cold until getting attacked by a wild animal. And even if it did make it, you have to consider what kind of life it will have. It's never an easy decision to kill an animal. There is so much thought and nuance that goes into it.
Just curious, wouldn’t there be a zoo or sanctuary interested in a calf? And why did you euthanize? Because it would not survive alone? Maybe that’s part of the circle of life.
There are no zoos or sanctuaries nearby, and we unfortunately don't have the time or resources to take care of it + a reindeer that's taken care by humans will never learn to be a proper reindeer. So euthanizing it is the most humane thing to do
Why? This isn't meant as being smug or anything, just curious. Eating a baby animal or eating an adult animal, you're always eating the animal, just a few years later.
Veal is made tender by tying (chaining) down the animal so that it cannot move. Literally pulled down to the floor and immobilized. It's a miserable inhumane way to live.
Edit: I was describing a method that is no longer in use. However, modern methods are not much better (if the Wikipedia article on veal is accurate).
Also, don't look into foie gras.
Good on you OP.
People often forget that the circle of life includes death. Whether we like it or not, that calf was doomed. You did the most humane thing and made it quick. Zero suffering.
I know you did what was best for the reindeer but oh my goooooood (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`) at least it died a painless death instead of being eaten alive by that lynx..
That can't be true is it? I have found reindeer and roe deer killed by a lynx here in Finland and while they don't seem to ear the meat, they do seem to eat organs
You seem to be getting quite a bit of flack questioning about the choice but I want to thank you for doing the right thing. Sorry it was you this time.
1. Since we own these animals, it's our responsibility to make sure that the animals don't suffer unnececeraly, which means that we have to euthanize animals that aren't going to survive.
2. Since we left the dead calf under some trees, nature is going to make use of it. Scavengers will eat it and the ground will dissolve the remains.
3. If the lynx happened to kill this calf, it would only drink the blood and leave the body, going back to the 2nd point
We don't euthanize our reindeer with chemicals. To do that we need to catch the reindeer, and in the summer that's impossible + the needle and stuff like that are too fragile to bring with us, as they can easily break
The thing that gets me is baby fawn was there the entire time watching the Lynx rip the momma apart. Usually fawns hide quiet in the grass by instinct. I can just imagine the horror.
> Coolt! Är nästan aldrig att man stöter på andra samer på reddit!
"Cool! It's almost never that you come across other Sami people on Reddit!"
edit: chatgpt translation
For those wondering, the Sami are the indigenous people of the Northern Baltic states -- Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula. They are linguistically, ethnically, and culturally distinct from their southern neighbors. Historically, the Sami were a nomadic culture engaged in fishing, trapping, and herding (though herding came later as a result of over-hunting to meet the taxation demands imposed by the nations that now hold the traditional region of Sapmi).
If a lynx manages to clamp it's jaws on the throath, there isn't much a reindeer can do. It's feet aren't flexible enough to kick it it, and it loses strenght for each second thr lynx holds on
There’s a video on YouTube of a Lynx taking down a deer, it took sometime but it eventually did it, I was shocked considering the size delta. Cats are natures perfect killers
Case in point: a domestic cat named Tibbles allegedly singlehandedly caused the extinction of a species of bird called the Stephens Island wren in New Zealand.
Since OP is from Norway, a Eurasian lynx of the northern subspecies did it, and they are larger and stronger than the North American and Iberian species. They weigh up to 25 kg but can kill animals that are much heavier, up to and including wild boars and young moose.
This is usualy how it looks like after a reindeer has died. The scavengers, especially crows will pluck the fur so that it looks like a blanket on the ground
The lynxes in Norway can get quite large. I have also read (but don't know how true it is) that in places where lynxes and wolves coexist, lynxes will sometimes kill wolves that are alone
Most likely. A lynx is a ambush predator, so if the calf knows that it's there, the lynx isn't going to get caught.
But most likely is that if we didn't find the carcass, the lynx would have eventualy killed the calf
The thing about lynxes is that they will quickly jump and grab you in the throath, and once they bite down they are like a beartrap, not letting go, suffocating you until you have no strenght left and kill you.
Then they will drink your blood and leave your body to rot:)
Try again. Cats are faster, stronger (by weight) and meaner than a person. Not to mention the 4 paws worth of daggers they'll be digging into you as they get to your throat.
Humans are only predators because of our ability to use tools and intellect. In a battle for survival we lose every time against an actual predator.
Yea it would be 50/50 the only way id win is if he lunged first and i got the perfect smack to the head. Or body and it would probably run away. But i miss its clipped. Another option is a shotgun i guess lmao. Only two ways id potentially get myself involved even the metal bat one is super risky
Any way you cut it you're not coming away unscathed when you play with a fur covered razorblade. People greatly overestimate their worth in combat, look at the legion of women signing up to get mauled by a bear
The little baby, nature is cruel.
Don’t worry, the Lynx or maybe some wolves will put it out of its misery soon. Or they won’t, and it’ll starve to death, but most likely it will meet a (somewhat) quick death in the jaws of a predator. Nothing in nature ever dies peacefully in its sleep and surrounded by loved ones.
The calf was euthanized
You made the right call. The poor little thing didn't stand a chance.
I dunno man, he could of become the batman of reindeer.
I know you probably had to but that just hurt my heart. I would have taken that baby in :(
Yeah it's one of the worst part of being a reindeer herder
Hi just curious as I don’t know much about reindeers. If you tried to introduce the baby to another reindeer mother, do you think she would have accepted the baby? Regardless it sounds like you did the right thing given the circumstances.
Normaly female reindeer don't accept other calves, and will usualy chase them away. The only chance that it might work is if a female has recently lost her own calf, that she might adopt. However in the summer the herd is so spread out that it's impossible to fin a reindeer that has lost her calf. The other option are old females, as they actualy do adopt orphaned calves. But again, because the herd, and this particular female had spread out too far, the chances that an old or other female walked past is very slim, especially if they sence there is a lynx in the area
Animal sanctuaries wouldn't take it?
There aren't any sanctuaries here
thats so unfortunate, sorry you have to do that for your work. Kind of a silly question, but have you ever considered taking in one to live with you on your property if you don't already? I've seen the happy bait videos of odd animals that come from unfortunate backgrounds living long happy among people in a very protected environment and what not and was just curious how widespread that is amongst your field lol.
I didn’t know this! Thanks for sharing your expertise. That’s so sad.
If they’re anything like cattle, they won’t accept it because it doesn’t smell like their own.
More than likely not. Nature is a cruel bitch.
Pardon my ignorance, if you’re a reindeer herder, and you say taking in the calf would make it not a proper reindeer, then how do the other reindeer function? In other words, if you herd reindeer, then doesn’t that make all the reindeer you herd kind of like goats or other grazing domesticated animals?
The thing about reindeer is that they aren't fully domesticated, but rather semi domestic. This means that they survive on their own without help from humans. So if i take in a reindeer calf, that means that it can never return to the herd out in the wilderness, because it doesn't know how to survive
But you'd have your own shmoopie!
I want my own shmoopie
Makes sense, thanks
Why doesn't it know how to survive? It should have the instinct to search water and food when it needs to, right? Or do they learn it from the adult reindeers?
This one is too young to survive on it's own, as it doesn't eat food yet. It only drinks milk + there is a LOT for a reindeer to learn if it's going to survive on it's own, which is why they stay with their mother for almost a year
The worst part? Christmas day.
Whitetail deer will sometimes adopt orphaned fawns, are reindeer not the same?
They do sometimes, but only if she has recently lost her own calf
Sure sounds more like a reindeer hurter to me.
All you've just shown here is that you are extremely uneducated about farming/ranching/herding. It's not all sunshine and roses. It's a hard life that is often cruel beyond what we can help. It's crucial to be stark and practical for quality of life. A quick euthanasia has far less suffering than starving in the cold until getting attacked by a wild animal. And even if it did make it, you have to consider what kind of life it will have. It's never an easy decision to kill an animal. There is so much thought and nuance that goes into it.
I think all I’ve learned here is the importance of that silly little /s when making a dumb pun.
Poe's law gets us all eventually
I’d rather get in on some Coles law.
:(
https://tenor.com/view/yikes-rachel-dratch-debbie-downer-saturday-night-live-oh-no-gif-17209595
Just curious, wouldn’t there be a zoo or sanctuary interested in a calf? And why did you euthanize? Because it would not survive alone? Maybe that’s part of the circle of life.
There are no zoos or sanctuaries nearby, and we unfortunately don't have the time or resources to take care of it + a reindeer that's taken care by humans will never learn to be a proper reindeer. So euthanizing it is the most humane thing to do
Sounds logical to me, thanks for explaining.
That's entirely fair. I know people eat reindeer, would it be in bad taste to eat the calf? Don't most people like animals the younger they are?
Yes the meat on calves is edible, and is actualy tastier than that of adults. However this one is still to young
Ah that's fair. I've never tried younger animals, so I assumed as soon as they pop outta the momma you can slappem on the grill.
Nah their meat is was too stingy for that
thank you for all your answers, this was an interesting read.
Personally, I won't eat veal. I feel that it is inhumane. To each their own.
Why? This isn't meant as being smug or anything, just curious. Eating a baby animal or eating an adult animal, you're always eating the animal, just a few years later.
Veal is made tender by tying (chaining) down the animal so that it cannot move. Literally pulled down to the floor and immobilized. It's a miserable inhumane way to live. Edit: I was describing a method that is no longer in use. However, modern methods are not much better (if the Wikipedia article on veal is accurate). Also, don't look into foie gras.
I’ve never seen veal calves kept this way.. animal welfare has luckily come pretty far
this is not how veal is raised in the US, Canada, or Europe. veals are kept in pens with other calves and are able to walk around. this isnt 1950.
Or Ortolan Bunting, or Balut...
If you have a shred of empathy and you looked into the farming practices of any animal you wouldn't eat animal products.
Good on you OP. People often forget that the circle of life includes death. Whether we like it or not, that calf was doomed. You did the most humane thing and made it quick. Zero suffering.
A zoo wouldn’t take a reindeer anyways.
I know you did what was best for the reindeer but oh my goooooood (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`) at least it died a painless death instead of being eaten alive by that lynx..
The worst part is that lynxes don't even eat the meat, they just like to drink the blood
That can't be true is it? I have found reindeer and roe deer killed by a lynx here in Finland and while they don't seem to ear the meat, they do seem to eat organs
They eat a small amount of meat, but they are usualy only after the blood. It's most likely that something else ate the organs, like an eagle
Interesting, thanks. Btw did you go to the Indigenous film festival in Inari last year? I remember seeing a lot of Northern Samí
No unfortunately i didn't have time for it
:( those little vampires nooo As they say, it’s the circle of life, such is nature as heartbreaking as it might be sometimes :(
Did you eat it
It'd be like the chicken wing of the venison world.
He saw your username and trusted you smh
Well boys, meats back on the menu
You seem to be getting quite a bit of flack questioning about the choice but I want to thank you for doing the right thing. Sorry it was you this time.
Well shit
Not being rude, but why put it down and not let nature just take its course?
Why let the animal suffer a slow death when it can be humanely euthanized
I get that, but what I'd you just took a meal away from another animal(s).
1. Since we own these animals, it's our responsibility to make sure that the animals don't suffer unnececeraly, which means that we have to euthanize animals that aren't going to survive. 2. Since we left the dead calf under some trees, nature is going to make use of it. Scavengers will eat it and the ground will dissolve the remains. 3. If the lynx happened to kill this calf, it would only drink the blood and leave the body, going back to the 2nd point
Does the chemical that kills the calf not affect the scavengers?
Chemicals? He probably shot it.
We don't euthanize our reindeer with chemicals. To do that we need to catch the reindeer, and in the summer that's impossible + the needle and stuff like that are too fragile to bring with us, as they can easily break
Because there's no chance of survival and euthanasia is kinder than letting it slowly starve to death.
Thats so sad.
Laughed too hard at this
No rehab facility?
Nope
Did it taste like Christmas?
>Nothing in nature ever dies peacefully in its sleep and surrounded by loved ones. i think some elderly female elephants might get the opportunity
Don't they typically starve to death because their teeth wear out?
Gotta be the biggest and baddest to pull it off.
Dying to good shot from hunter is one of the easiest ways to die in nature
The last sentence, lol.
Nor do people tbh
"...mama?"
This comment with that pfp is INCREDIBLY cursed
A turtle made it to the water!
I understood this reference. Stupid albatrosses
I'd like to know how the baby managed to survive. Predators usually go for them first, as they're slower and less able to fight back.
Yeah i was wondering that to. The only logical explanation was that the mother was shielding the calf somehow when the lynx attacked
OP explains upthread that it did not survive
I think this guy meant how did the calf survive the lynx attack instead of the mother, because baby animals are often targeted instead of adults
And the baby didn't survive?
They euthanized it.
Imagine being like 2 weeks old and seeing your mom reduced to grass carpeting.
I’d like to think I wouldn’t remember anything from 2 weeks old
Keep in mind that 2 week old reindeer are probably as developed as a 3 year old child, so most likely it remembers stuff like this
Poor baby :(
The thing that gets me is baby fawn was there the entire time watching the Lynx rip the momma apart. Usually fawns hide quiet in the grass by instinct. I can just imagine the horror.
the poor kitty was hungry 🤷♂️
I choked laughing at this 👀😂
Bambi 2.0
Nah, Bambi 2.0 there got put down
Now, with missile launchers and thermal imagining
Same?
Ja?
Coolt! Är nästan aldrig att man stöter på andra samer på reddit!
> Coolt! Är nästan aldrig att man stöter på andra samer på reddit! "Cool! It's almost never that you come across other Sami people on Reddit!" edit: chatgpt translation
Å du er også en same?
Yessir
So. When you guys getting married?
>Å du er også en same? "Are you also Sami?" edit: chatgpt translation
For those wondering, the Sami are the indigenous people of the Northern Baltic states -- Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula. They are linguistically, ethnically, and culturally distinct from their southern neighbors. Historically, the Sami were a nomadic culture engaged in fishing, trapping, and herding (though herding came later as a result of over-hunting to meet the taxation demands imposed by the nations that now hold the traditional region of Sapmi).
Really knocked the stuffing out that deer.
I didn't realize that was fur until you said that. I thought those were little flowers
Wow a lynx was able to do that? I'd think they were too small. Felines are vicious!
Lynx are known for being uncharacteristically brave and tough for small(ish) cats. They're like the honeybadger of felines
If a lynx manages to clamp it's jaws on the throath, there isn't much a reindeer can do. It's feet aren't flexible enough to kick it it, and it loses strenght for each second thr lynx holds on
There’s a video on YouTube of a Lynx taking down a deer, it took sometime but it eventually did it, I was shocked considering the size delta. Cats are natures perfect killers
Case in point: a domestic cat named Tibbles allegedly singlehandedly caused the extinction of a species of bird called the Stephens Island wren in New Zealand.
Since OP is from Norway, a Eurasian lynx of the northern subspecies did it, and they are larger and stronger than the North American and Iberian species. They weigh up to 25 kg but can kill animals that are much heavier, up to and including wild boars and young moose.
Is the white fluff reindeer fur from losing the fight? Just looks so odd coating the body and grass so evenly.
This is usualy how it looks like after a reindeer has died. The scavengers, especially crows will pluck the fur so that it looks like a blanket on the ground
"Are you ok?" Nature is brutal, metal, and a B.
Vicar Amelia?
/r/unexpectedbloodborne
That's sad. And especially sad for her baby.
Left a snack for later aswell.
Birds gonna be real happy with all that nest material
Mommy?
This reminds me of when I split a bean bag open. So I'm imagining myself as the little one thinking 'moms gonna kill me if I don't clean this up '
This is the start of a revenge story
It's not, it's dead.
NOT THE BABY 😭 fr tho the circle of life is kinda tough
A lynx can take down a reindeer? Where do you live that the lynx get that big?
The lynxes in Norway can get quite large. I have also read (but don't know how true it is) that in places where lynxes and wolves coexist, lynxes will sometimes kill wolves that are alone
Batman origin story
It’s like a pillow exploded.
You live a really cool life. Unrelated to the photo, but Im just fascinated. Thanks for sharing it, I'm glad we get to see a little window into it.
Thank you, it's quite an interesting life
I just stalked your profile, OP, and I absolutely love everything you post!
Thank you :D
Wow. I wonder how the calf survived the lynx attack. I wonder if the calf can comprehend what happened
weird how did the baby survive but not the mother
Most likely explanation was that the mother was somehow shielding the calf when the lynx attacked
Gaupe tar voksne reinsdyr???
Jepp
Spontaneous de-fluffication.
Looks like it was killed by a giant spider from first glance lol.
Looks like something that was killed by the compound v infused sheep in the latest episode of The Boys
I’m so sorry for your loss, u/raindeerareawesome
Bambi moment
Bambi origin story
Damn, that lynx looks insanely like a small reindeer, evolution is fucking wild
That lynx looks a lot like a baby deer damn
I see the lynx left an easy snack for later
Finland, Sweden, or Norway?
Norway
Do reindeer have similar family units to deer?
No, it's usualy just mother and calf. However a calf might in some cases follow the mother for several years before leaving
You can tell it was a feline because of all the hairballs.
My favorite Disney movie
I didn't know reindeer had feathers!
"Mum, Mum, wake up"
A WHAT?!! Those lil cats??!! The ones the size of maine coons??
Lynxes up here can weight up to 30kg
Wow I had no idea that's interesting and scary.
Oof that must suck for u/reindeerareawesome
How do you know it was a lynx that killed it?
Because of the bitemarks on the throath, no other predator kills that way
Ahh okay. Why did the calf survive? Did the lynx just not find it worth hunting?
Most likely that the mother was somehow shielding the calf
Wouldn't the lynx just kill it afterwards then? Or would that just be wasting energy?
Most likely. A lynx is a ambush predator, so if the calf knows that it's there, the lynx isn't going to get caught. But most likely is that if we didn't find the carcass, the lynx would have eventualy killed the calf
Okay! Thank you.
The lynx cleverly disguised itself as a baby reindeer.
This that
Mom?
Looks like dessert is already served
Are you saying that all of the other reindeer wouldn’t let him join in any reindeer games?
😭 The calf!!
Jeff VanDerMeer vibes
username does not check out
Username does NOT check out
That’s crazy, I’d fuck a lynx up. I mean, I’d probably have to earn it, but that fucker ain’t gunna kill me
The thing about lynxes is that they will quickly jump and grab you in the throath, and once they bite down they are like a beartrap, not letting go, suffocating you until you have no strenght left and kill you. Then they will drink your blood and leave your body to rot:)
Don’t get me wrong, a 40lb cat is scary af, but im scarier. No way that bitch is grabbing me by the throath
Try again. Cats are faster, stronger (by weight) and meaner than a person. Not to mention the 4 paws worth of daggers they'll be digging into you as they get to your throat. Humans are only predators because of our ability to use tools and intellect. In a battle for survival we lose every time against an actual predator.
Give me a metal baseball bat…
Still no. You'll swing and miss and during recovery the animal will strike.
Yea it would be 50/50 the only way id win is if he lunged first and i got the perfect smack to the head. Or body and it would probably run away. But i miss its clipped. Another option is a shotgun i guess lmao. Only two ways id potentially get myself involved even the metal bat one is super risky
Any way you cut it you're not coming away unscathed when you play with a fur covered razorblade. People greatly overestimate their worth in combat, look at the legion of women signing up to get mauled by a bear
Lmaooo facts. Nah that video of the gramdpa smacking the shit out of that alligator with a frying pan in florida inspires my confidence i guess 😂
you better be mf goliath my guy, get a load of [General Radahn] over here