Archived News

According to a recent issue of the weekly newspaper Penguin News, the programme to remove the introduced Reindeer Rangifer tarandus from South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* is now underway. The two separate Reindeer herds are being removed over two summers ahead of the ongoing rodent eradication exercise (click here). Although a call to remove the Reindeer was made at least as early as 1992 at an international workshop it has taken two decades for a decision to be made and action to be taken.

By close to the end of January fences and a corral had been erected and 200 Reindeer in the Busen herd rounded up and a further 400 shot by the Norwegian expert team. It is expected that the Busen area will be cleared of its 1000-odd Reindeer by the end of this month. It is intended that meat from the rounded-up Reindeer will be sold to visiting cruise ships and fishing companies after veterinary inspection. The presence of Sami Reindeer herders from Norway is to ensure the eradication exercise is conducted in a humane manner.

It is expected that removal of the Reindeer will lead to vegetation recovery. Along with removal of the rats and mice, the island will then become more suitable for its breeding birds, including burrowing petrels such as the ACAP-listed White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis.

White-chinned Petrels call outside their burrow.  Photograph by Ben Phalan

Read more on reasons for the eradication in the Management Decision.

Meanwhile efforts to remove introduced mammals on French Kerguelen Island in the southern Indian Ocean have not as yet extended to tackling its Reindeer population (click here).

Selected References:

Anon. 2013. January start for Operation Reindeer. Penguin News 24(33): 1.

Bell, C.M. & Dieterich, R.A. 2010. Translocation of Reindeer from South Georgia to the Falkland Islands. Rangifer 30: 1-9.

Christie, D. 2010. Reindeer on South Georgia, Literature Review and Discussion of Management Options. [Stanley]: Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. 104 pp.

Christie, D. 2011. Introduced reindeer on South Georgia - their impact and management. Aliens 31: 24-29.

Cooper, J. 1995. Introduced island biota: discussion and recommendations. In: Dingwall, P.R. (Ed.). Progress in Conservation of Subantarctic Islands. Gland: World Conservation Union. pp. 133-138.

Eira, H.I. & Kilander, C.E. 2012. Report from Reconnaissance January 1st - 31st 2012 regarding Eradication of Reindeer on South Georgia. Statens Natur Oppsyn Report 2012-1. Trondheim: Directorate for Nature Management. 41 pp.

Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 2011. Report on the Outputs of the Advisory Group on Reindeer Management Methodology November 2011. [Stanley: Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]. 88 pp.

Leader-Williams, N. 1988. Reindeer on South Georgia. The Ecology of an Introduced Population. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 319 pp.

Leader-Williams, N., Walton, D.W.H. & Prince, P.A. 1989. Introduced Reindeer on South Georgia: a management dilemma. Biological Conservation 47: 1-11.

Moen, J. & MacAlister, H. 1994. Continued range expansion of introduced Reindeer on South Georgia. Polar Biology 14: 459-462.

With thanks to Anton Wolfaardt, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK for information.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 February 2013

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.