13 Svalbard reindeer deaths called highly unusual

Norwegian authorities said Thursday that 13 recently dead reindeer had been found in Svalbard in what they described as a highly unusual pattern for summer.

The local governor's office said the animals were found during an annual count in two valleys in the Arctic archipelago, a little more than 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole. The dead animals were 11 females and two males.

“It is very unusual for females of breeding age and adult males to die during the summer,” the governor's office said, adding that authorities wanted to monitor the situation closely.

The cause of death is not known, and authorities have asked the public to report any new carcasses.

The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research told AFP it had no clear indication or specific hypothesis to explain the deaths. Researcher Vebjorn Veiberg said winter deaths usually mainly involve the youngest and oldest animals, while the reindeer found this summer were in their most vigorous and productive period.

Veiberg said veterinary specialists were looking for a disease-related explanation, but said it seemed unlikely that a disease would primarily affect the most robust animals.

Svalbard has about 22,000 reindeer, around seven times the number of people. The archipelago is roughly twice the size of Belgium, and its reindeer are much smaller than mainland reindeer.