--- title: Reindeer Could Be Killed Off By Climate Change, Study Says description: Researchers in the Arctic have expressed their concerns that thousands of reindeer could die this year due to global climate change. canonical: https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/ author: Suyin Haynes article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-16T14:16:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T01:50:48.809Z article:section: Science og:title: Scientists Fear Climate Change Is Killing the Arctic's Reindeer og:description: By tens of thousands a year og:url: https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7238f076b54694c1/6988aea6fb4eac0d3688fe85/gettyimages-608180473.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Sami Reindeer Herding og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Scientists Fear Climate Change Is Killing the Arctic's Reindeer twitter:description: By tens of thousands a year twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7238f076b54694c1/6988aea6fb4eac0d3688fe85/gettyimages-608180473.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Scientists Fear Climate Change Is Killing the Arctic's Reindeer by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Nov 16, 2016 2:16 PM UTC  A new study carried out in Arctic Russia has indicated a link between decreasing levels of ice cover caused by rising temperatures and the starvation of thousands of reindeer. A new study carried out in Arctic Russia has indicated a link between decreasing levels of ice cover caused by rising temperatures and the starvation of thousands of reindeer.Scott Wallace—Getty Images by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Nov 16, 2016 2:16 PM UTC Researchers working in Arctic Russia have expressed their concerns that thousands of reindeer could die this year as a result of global [climate change. ](http://time.com/4558782/arctic-sea-ice-melt-climate-change/?iid=sr-link2) About 20,000 reindeer starved to death in 2006 and another 61,000 in 2013, according to a recent study. In these cases, heavy rains caused by low levels of sea cover and unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to thick and prolonged snow cover in the area. The animal’s usual food supply of lichen and vegetation was cut off by the snow, resulting in the starvation of thousands. Researchers now fear similar devastation might occur this winter. The second-lowest level of sea-ice cover on record happened in September, sparking fears for the survival of reindeer currently inhabiting the focus area in the Yamal Peninsula. “If we see such events again this year, it could mean that they’re becoming more frequent,” says Bruce Forbes at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland, who led the study. “Now is the risk window, and if it happens again, it will be a major problem for traditional reindeer herders still suffering from losses in 2013,” Forbes told the [New Scientist](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2112958-80000-reindeer-have-starved-to-death-as-arctic-sea-ice-retreats/). \[[_New Scientist_](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2112958-80000-reindeer-have-starved-to-death-as-arctic-sea-ice-retreats/)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/"},"headline":"Scientists Fear Climate Change Is Killing the Arctic's Reindeer","datePublished":"2016-11-16T14:16:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T01:50:48.809Z","description":"Evidence found linking rising temperatures to the starvation of reindeer","url":"https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/","keywords":["climate change","animals","arctic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7238f076b54694c1/6988aea6fb4eac0d3688fe85/gettyimages-608180473.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Suyin Haynes","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7238f076b54694c1/6988aea6fb4eac0d3688fe85/gettyimages-608180473.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sami Reindeer Herding","caption":"Sami Reindeer Herding","creditText":"Scott Wallace—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/climate-change/","name":"climate change"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4572883/reindeer-arctic-climate-change/","name":"Scientists Fear Climate Change Is Killing the Arctic's Reindeer"}}]}] ```