麻豆社

What does a reindeer smell like? And how do they manage to survive in one of the harshest climates in the world, with temperatures that can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius? Kim Chakanetsa talks all things reindeer with two women who follow these extraordinary animals for a living.

Anne Louise N忙ss Gaup is a reindeer herder from the indigenous S谩mi community in Norway. She was brought up in a family of traditional herders and she spends most of her life on the road, looking after her migrating herd. She talks about her hard but rewarding work; why these animals are so important for her culture; and why it鈥檚 very inappropriate to ask her how many reindeer she owns.

Dr. Jackie Hrabok-Lepp盲j盲rvi has a joint Professorship at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus and at the S谩mi Education Institute in Kaamanen, Finland. She teaches reindeer husbandry and applied arts. She started studying reindeer and caribous when she was 18 and she never looked back. She now develops science-based and sustainable reindeer husbandry programmes, helping indigenous communities to protect the animals they base their livelihood on.

Producer: Alice Gioia

Reindeer audio: Courtesy of Bengt Roger Kaaven, NRK SAPMI

Image:
L: Dr. Jackie Hrabok-Lepp盲j盲rvi
R: Anne Louise N忙ss Gaup