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Dangers & Predators

			Man-Made Danger:
			Why Reindeer Roam the Roads
			Approximately 3,000 reindeer road accidents occur in the reindeer management areas each year. The majority of accidents occur during November to January and July to August. The worst stretches of road are highway No. 20 between Pudasjärvi and Taivalkoski, and main road No. 82 between Vikajärvi and Kemijärvi.
			...Roads traverse the reindeer grazing grounds.
			...Undergrowth growing on the sides of the roads attract reindeer to the road areas.
			...In wintertime, reindeer are forced out into the open and to roads by thick snow and ice in their grazing areas, and in the summertime, swarms of mosquitoes have the same effect.
			...Reindeer supplement their need for micronutrients from road salt and grit that is spread on the roads.

Predators in Nature:

The Wolverine

Body: 70 - 83 cm
Tail: 13 - 25 cm
Weight: 9 - 25 kg

The wolverine is Europe's largest pine marten. It is prevalent across the northern half of the globe and nowadays in Finland, it is found only in Lapland and near the eastern border. There are only about 120 left in the country. Here, this extremely timid predator moves on the bare tops of the fells, in the birch forests of the fells, the northern coniferous forests, forest clearings, in marshes, and on lakesides.

This predator has strong jaw and neck muscles as well as long, sharp claws. The wolverine mainly eats carcasses but in the winter, when there are no carcasses, the wolverine may well kill several animals for itself and its young. When a wolverine finds a carcass or kills its prey, it marks it for itself. Reindeer are easy prey for the wolverine to kill (in winter the wolverine mainly lives on reindeer), to tear up into pieces and hide for a "rainy day". The wolverine does not sink into soft snow nearly as much as a reindeer does. The weight of a reindeer per cm2 of its base is 8 - 10 times that of a wolverine. The wolverine does not always kill reindeer for food, but does it for "fun", too.

The Lynx

Body: 80 - 130 cm
Tail 11 - 25 cm
Weight: 18 - 25 kg

Today, the lynx is found only in parts of Fennoscandia and Eastern Europe - Karelia, White Russia, and the Carpathians. In Finland, this species is scattered over the whole country with most in the Southeast. The population is almost 800.

The lynx is a forest animal that thrives particularly in mountainous terrain. In the Carpathians, for instance, it is seen at altitudes of 150 - 2000 m, mostly at the 700 - 1100m level.

The hare is usually its most important prey but the lynx is an adaptable and clever hunter whose diet varies in different areas. In reindeer herding areas, reindeer can fall prey, and the white-tailed deer is prey in the South-West of Finland. Like other members of the cat family, the lynx hunts by stalking followed by a short, quick attack. Large victims are killed by a bite to the throat. The bite is very accurate and fells the victim almost on the spot. After this, the lynx usually eats part of its prey and covers the remains imperfectly with snow or undergrowth so that the scratch marks are clearly visible. Only in rare exceptions does the lynx sever the head of a roe deer or other large animal. A fully-grown lynx needs about 1 kg of food per day.

The Bear

Body: 130 - 250 cm
Tail: 5 - 15 cm
Weight: 100 - 315 kg (male)
60 - 200 kg (female)

Nowadays, bears are found only in Fennoscandia, Russia, and in the mountainous regions of Southern Europe, which are the remains of its widespread occurrence in Europe. Bears are still found in a large part of Asia and in parts of North America. In Finland, bears occur near the eastern border and in the central and northern parts of the Province of Lapland. These days, bears are on the increase - with a population of almost 1020 animals.

The bear is a forest animal that favors old coniferous forests. Steep and rough slopes are also good bear-country. The bear also visits the open fells, cultivated areas, open clearings, and marshes - but usually only when foraging for food.

The bear mainly eats vegetables and plants. In spring, it digs up roots and eats straw and grass shoots and in summer, it eats all kinds of green plant parts. As soon as they are ripe, blueberries and other berries appear in their feces and, indeed, berries are the bear's main food in the late summer and autumn.

In addition, the bear kills large mammals, particularly moose, reindeer, sheep, and cows. It hunts moose and reindeer mostly in the spring. One reason for this could be that at that time it is harder to find plant food. In late winter, it is to the bear's advantage that the hard snow supports it better than moose or reindeer.

The Wolf

Body: 90 - 150 cm
Tail: 33 - 51 cm
Weight 20 - 80 kg (male)
18 - 55 kg (female)

In Europe, the wolf is found in the east, mainly in Russia, and there are populations of thousands in Yugoslavia and Romania, and populations of hundreds in Poland and Bulgaria. Most of the approx. 120 wolves in Finland live in eastern and northern parts of the country but lone animals can be sighted as far away as the southern and western areas.

The wolf is very adaptable and it lives in all the biotopes of the northern half of the globe except in bare desert. Severe persecution has gradually pushed this species into wilderness areas, thickly growing areas, and areas that are not easily accessible to people.

The wolf mainly eats large mammals. Smaller prey include the beaver, but the animals in the moose family are far more significant - the moose, reindeer, roe deer, white-tailed deer, as well as hollow antlered animals - the bison, musk-ox, ibex and snow goat. The chase can go on for kilometers, and the prey is usually attacked from behind with a fatal bite aimed at the neck or head.

Source courtesy of: http://www.paliskunnat.fi/default.aspx?kieli=en-US