Rangifer tarandus tarandus – Eurasian tundra reindeer

R. t. platyrhynchus – Svalbard reindeer

R. t. fennicus – Eurasian forest reindeer

R. t. granti – Alaskan caribou

R. t. caribou – Woodland caribou

R. t.groenlandicus – Barren-ground caribou

R.t. pearyi – Peary caribou

So what you are selling your customers depends on where the animals came from and from which stocks. As you probably know there is a small herd of semi domestic reindeer (originally imported from Norway) near Inuvik. Most animals in northern Canada are said to be barren ground caribou.

Some herds of caribou would appear to be under threat – woodland caribou in North America certainly due to loss of habitat and there have been recent reports of some of the large herds of Caribou in Canada/ Alaska diminishing in number.

As regards managed stock of Eurasian semi domesticated reindeer, herd numbers are healthy in all but some small herding groups and their reindeer in the Taiga regions, again due to loss of habitat among other reasons.

That is interesting about meat coming from Greenland. In Greenland, the majority of animals are R. t.groenlandicus and are in the mid west region, where they are hunted. Some local herds have reduced numbers and a variety of local sub species are thought to exist. Semi domesticated reindeer from Norway were introduced in the 1950s with mixed success and today there is only one herd remaining in the South, with the animals in the west merging with the caribou.

Genetic research is ongoing and has some really interesting findings on the genetic relations between these sub species, I’ll drop you a line about those next

(I will add that when I lived in Vancouver, I bought caribou burgers from your store, if you are the same Hills that I think you are!)

Cheers

Philip Burgess

The reason we write is to see if you can answer a question on species identity.
After all these years we are still confused as to the correct name/status of caribou and reindeer.

It appears that they are interchangeable for novices yet we are the so called experts and we see the industry experts calling caribou, reindeer.

Is there a distinction? If so what is the specific difference? Does it matter? With the challenges of climate change on wild and ranched herds it would provide greater clarity and comfort for some to know which is which.

Look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Mark Hills