Markus Rensberg, mayor of the Sámi village of Ruvhten Seite, reacts sharply to the fact that very few drivers report hitting the wild animals. Photo: Jörgen Heikki, Sameradion / Gorm Kallestad, NTB, TT.
Reindeer grazing rights in Sweden are held only by the Sámi in about 50 percent of the country, although not all of it is used for this purpose. There are 33 mountain villages, 10 forest villages and 8 concession Sámi villages, a total of 51 villages. Approximately 4,600 reindeer owners live in these villages. The winter herd size is estimated to be between 225,000 and 280,000 reindeer. 85 percent of reindeer owners live in Norrbotten County in the northernmost part of Sweden.
The major problem is the death of animals in road accidents, in most cases the culprits behind the deaths are not identified by the police. The Road Insurance Association, which has an agreement with the Swedish People's Confederation (SSR), deals with compensation for reindeer killed in road accidents. The Swedish Transport Administration deals with compensation for reindeer killed by trains.
Every year, the Swedish police receive information about more than 3,500 accidents involving wild animals and reindeers, most of which are killed by vehicles. This is a large number, but there are even more unidentified cases of reindeer deaths. Recently, fewer and fewer reports of these incidents have been received by the police.
The situation for Sami reindeer herders is constantly worsening due to the emergence of new factors causing animal deaths on the roads and late or none reports of accidents.
For the animal, this means unnecessary suffering, says Marcus Rensberg, mayor of the Sámi village of Ruvhten Seite.
In northern Sweden, ever larger construction projects are taking place, increasing the volume of traffic – and the professional drivers are often immigrant workers with little knowledge of Swedish law.
The Swedish police believe that this is the reason why fewer and fewer accidents with wild animals are now being reported.
Many people come here and simply don’t know that they should report them, says Joakim Lundqvist, wildlife coordinator at the northern police station.
In addition to the ignorance of immigrant drivers, the risk of accidents also increases when more trucks, trailers and industrial machinery drive through reindeer grazing areas. To prevent accidents with animals, the police inform employees at large companies and construction sites about the laws regarding accidents with wild animals. What effect this actually has is unclear.
Markus Rensberg, the mayor of the Sámi village of Ruvhten Seite, reacted sharply this summer to the number of animal accidents that go unreported. This week, he received a call from a passerby who had seen an animal being hit. When Rensberg arrived at the scene, he found a dead reindeer and another one limping on three legs.
It's scary when you think about how many times this happens. Reindeer that run on three legs get injured, bleed internally, go into the forest and die, he says.
In order for reindeer owners to be eligible for compensation for a hit reindeer, the incident must be reported to the insurance company. But that's not the only reason why it's important to report wildlife accidents.
It's really common sense: why should there be an animal in the forest that's walking around in pain instead of calling and reporting it so we can do something about it. "It's so tragic to see injured animals every year, says Markus Rensberg.
By law, accidents involving wild animals and reindeer must be reported to the police emergency call centre within four hours, otherwise the incident is classified as a crime and the driver faces a fine.
For failure to report an accident involving an animal, the culprit can be held liable for leaving the scene of an accident. If the incident involves animals other than reindeer, the driver can be charged with an offence related to illegal hunting.
Source: SVT
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