Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 14, 2008

TUKTOYAKTUK - Reindeer that wandered off from Richards Island near Tuktoyaktuk in December pose no danger to caribou herds, according to Lloyd Binder, the owner of the reindeer.

Some earlier media reports suggested that Binder's reindeer might carry diseases to caribou. Binder says this is nearly impossible because his herd is a free-range herd that annually migrates from Richards Island to the mainland.

Have you seen these reindeer? Approximately 2,800 are missing outside Tuktoyaktuk. - photo courtesy of Jennifer Hinze

The herd has always been in contact with local caribou, unlike fenced-in reindeer herds that exist in the Yukon.

"It's a non-issue really. We just want to keep them segregated to reduce interbreeding," says Binder.

Environment and Natural Resources has made it clear that it is not concerned about the reindeer hurting caribou herds.

"Those reindeer have been there since the 1930s and they have the same diseases and parasites as the free-ranging caribou," says Judy McLinton, a spokesperson for Environment and Natural Resources.

Although the reindeer do meet and mingle with caribou, they tend to keep their distance.

"When you see a caribou in amongst reindeer they stand out, especially behaviourally," says Binder. "Caribou are hyper alert - head up, and reindeer don't run that way." There is a difference in the colouring as well.

Binder says that he has occasionally seen interbreeding between caribou and reindeer in his herd, but it is unusual and he deals with it right away.

"Where there's a rare case of a hybrid we slaughter it for meat."

Binder is a third-generation reindeer herder from Inuvik. He says that before they scattered this past December, the reindeer - all of which went missing - numbered "around 3,200, give or take 150." His father and grandfather both watched over the same reindeer herd.

Normally, the reindeer spend summers on Richards Island. While isolated on the island, they require little attention. Once the water surrounding Richards Island freezes in the winter, Binder and his staff monitor the herd by following them on snowmobiles.

This year, Binder said he suspects that wolves chased the herd off the island before he and his staff were able to control their annual migration to the mainland.

Binder and others have been out since December looking for the herd. They have an area of approximately 8,000-square-kilometres to cover. So far they have rounded up about 400 reindeer. He added they are scattered in groups of approximately 10 and 20.

Binder can't remember losing this many reindeer before, but his father Otto Binder recalled once losing between 1,000 and 2,000 reindeer out of a herd of 8,000.

Despite the setback, Binder remains optimistic about the future of his herd.

"It could be a huge problem financially, but my needs are not that great. I'm obviously not in this for the money. It's in my blood."

Annually, Binder culls approximately 300 animals from the herd and the meat is sold to southern customers, including restaurants and speciality meat shops. They have also begun selling drymeat to local customers.