Reindeer or caribou?

The Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has been spending time trying to show that the far north reindeer species is, in fact, a caribou and indigenous to southern Ontario and, by virtue of that definition, illegal to confine, as would be a wildlife species.

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Siida elder Tom Scheib (photo) sent the following response, a section of the Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association’s (ROBA) Health Manuel.

From the section The Reindeer is a Domestic Animal:
Since the world contains 148 species of large herbivore mammals why did humans only domesticate 14 of these species? To be domesticated, a candidate species must posses six characteristics to pass through the domestication bottleneck and lack of any one of the required characteristics dooms the domestication effort. These six characteristics are:
Diet: A domestic animal must survive on a "generalist" diet of palatable species of forage plants commonly available on rangelands and must be able to utilize crops grown by man. Reindeer eat a multitude of tundra plants and successful diets have been and can be formulated from a seemingly infinite number of foodstuffs. Reindeer do require a less fibrous, more digestible diet than most other domestic species.

Moose, on the other hand, need a special diet and are very difficult to feed in captivity.
Growth rate: To be worthwhile raising as a food animal, domestics must grow quickly to a slaughter weight. Reindeer during the summer months can grow as much as a pound per day, comparable to traditional livestock such as cattle. Most livestock species demonstrate about a 10% conversion rate, ie 10 lbs of feed produces 1 lb of animal. Reindeer at the U of Alaska during the summer growth period produce at an 18% conversion rate on a diet of barley, fishmeal, and hay.

Capable of breeding in captivity: Many candidates for captivity do not breed well in captivity. Reindeer breed very well in captivity.

Good natured disposition: Even though all current domestic livestock have killed humans, they are not inherently dangerous, and they socialize to people quite well. Hundreds of reindeer in a corral will flow around and not touch a human even though milling and humans can work free range reindeer in close quarters with minimal risk of injury to the animal. Bison, on the other hand, although good candidates for domestication, have a nasty disposition.

Tendency to not panic when threatened: Large mammalian herbivores react differently to predators or humans. Some species become very nervous quickly and are programmed for instant flight when they perceive a threat. This reaction is what eliminates most deer species for domestication. Even after decades of captive breeding in Alaska most caribou become very nervous and excitable when humans are close. The reindeer are much slower to become nervous, seek protection in herds, and stand their ground when threatened and only flee when absolutely necessary.

Social structure: All species of domesticated large mammals share three social characteristics:
∙ They live in herds with large numbers of adults tolerating each other in close quarters. They can be herded, handled, and are capable of living in high densities in captivity.
∙ These herds can occupy overlapping ranges rather than mutually exclusive territories and these herds can be penned or herded together without much fighting.
∙ There is a well-developed dominance hierarchy that allows many adults to coexist without constant fighting and each knows its social rank and will follow a more dominant animal. This social system is ideal for domestication because humans take over the dominance hierarchy and young animals will imprint on the human leader.

Reindeer vs. Caribou
(photo of caribou)
As a reindeer owner it is important to know the differences between reindeer and caribou. You will be asked to explain these differences many times over by the public and uninformed government officials. Reindeer are not wild animals.

Taxonomic order: Kingdom – Animal, Phylum – Chordata (backbone with spinal chord), Class – Mammalia (milk producing), Subclass – Ungulata (hoofed), Order – Artiodactyla (even-toed), Suborder – Ruminatia (ruminant), Family – Cervidae (deer), Genus – Rangifer, Species – Tarandus (with 7 subspecies). The domesticated reindeer is Rangifer tarandus tarandus while the caribou that lives in Alaska is Rangifer tarandus grantii.

Similarities
same species – can interbreed
both sexes have antlers
adapted to live on the tundra--circumpolar north
annual weight loss/gain cycle
herd animals
prefer lichen as a winter forage

Differences
Reindeer:
-domesticated
-sedentary
-breeding starts mid-Aug
-can be pinto colored
-dark bown calves
-more fat
-thicker fur
-shorter face and muzzle
-females have larger antlers than female caribou

Caribou:
-wild
-migratory
-breeding starts mid-Sept
-never pinto colored
-light brown calves