A female wild reindeer in Kamchatka came to the ocean to eat algae

A female wild reindeer in Kamchatka came to the ocean to eat algae

A female wild reindeer has appeared on the coast of Olga Bay. Scientists have suggested that she came to satisfy her mineral hunger, the Kronotsky Nature Reserve told Kamchatka.Today.

The female came down a little early from the mountain tundra, where deer graze in winter, mainly eating yagel. Usually wild reindeer start coming to the ocean in the first days of April. Early appearance may be due to low-snow winters and mild frosts.

“There are quite large tundras along the Tyushevka River, if there is little snow, deer can dig up food there. And the female came ashore, obviously, to salt herself, drink salt water and eat algae. Deer experience mineral starvation in winter. So do the snow sheep that live on the seaside terraces,” said Vladimir Gordienko, a researcher at the reserve.

The environmental protection agency recalled that the only large herd of wild reindeer in Kamchatka has been preserved only in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve.

Photo by Liana Varavskaya/Kronotsky Nature Reserve.