The current status of the Lena-Olenek population of wild reindeer (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i> L., 1758, Cervidae, Artiodactyla)

Abstract

The rational use of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L., 1758) based on reliable data on the number, distribution, age-sex composition, and herd size of the population is a challenging problem for hunting management. The purpose of this study was to characterize the current state of the Lena-Olenek tundra wild reindeer (LOWR) population. The counting of LOWR was based on the aerial census conducted from July 10 to 12, 2018; coordinate data from the GLONASS/Argos satellite tracker collars; stock materials from previous aerial surveys in the tundra of Yakutia. From the data obtained, the livestock of the LOWR was estimated to be 83,260. We specified that deer are housed in three distinct groups: broodstock, mixed, and male. The main livestock in the LOWR were females (44.2 %), calves (22.4 %), and juvenile animals 1–2 years old (17.5 %). Over 32 years, there was a decrease in 62.2% in the number of adult males and an increase in the number of fingerlings and juvenile animals. Since the middle of the last century, there has been a gradual increase in the number of LOWR from 21,000 to 95,000 deer in 2009 and a slight decrease to 83,200 deer in the last decade due to the exclusion of Taimyr reindeer migrants. The results of this study can be used to rationalize the use of wild reindeer resources and the allocation of quotas for production. Further census work will make it possible to monitor the state of the population over time.