Animal lovers in Sweden were in uproar after an energy company offered to grind up the carcasses of 291 reindeer which drowned after falling through thin ice to make biofuel. A 3,000-strong herd of the animals were being moved to winter pasture by indigenuous Sami herders across the frozen River Kutjaure in the north of Sweden. But part way into crossing the river, the lead reindeer turned around and the herd became confused and began running in circles across the ice.

The thin ice then gave way, plunging hundreds of helpless animals, mainly females and their calves, into the freezing water. Erik Gustavsson, an official who investigated the deaths, said: 'After crossing the river, the lead reindeer suddenly turned around for unknown reasons. 'The herd started to run in circles on the ice. Pressure increased so much that the ice broke.'

Reindeer keeper Bertil Kielatis added: 'Nothing like this has ever happened. To stand there and witness the animals fighting in the water, and not being able to do anything to help them, is not nice.'

The incident was treated as a national tragedy in Sweden, where the reindeer is a hugely popular.

Parents and teachers around Scandinavia were forced to explain what had happened to children, who asked how Santa would be able to deliver his Christmas presents. But animal lovers were in for a second shock when instead of a mass funeral for the reindeer, Norweigian Protein Corporation volunteered to make biofuel from their carcasses.

The company said it could convert the animal bodies into bone flour and fat. Bjarne Hagen, director of the company, said: 'The flour would be burned, and the fat used as heating oil. Both products we extract would be clean energy products.'

A storm of protest at the idea has resulted in a decision being made to have the reindeer buried in the northern Swedish city of Jokkmokk. The dead reindeer will be moved to the city, which is 4 miles from where the accident took place, by helicopter.

They will then given a special funeral service and buried at a makeshift cemetery in the city. Jakob Nygard, vice chairman in Sirge Sami village, said: 'This is against Sami traditions. It is not Sami practice to burn bones and animals.

'These are animals that we know and a lot of feelings are involved. This is the option that feels most ethical and morally right,' he added.




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Original story:

Tragedy: Hundreds of reindeer were drowned and trampled after they fell through ice while crossing a frozen lake in Sweden

Hundreds of reindeer on their annual migration across a frozen lake above Sweden's Arctic Circle have drowned as ice collapsed beneath them. The herd of around 3,000 reindeer were being moved by their Sami herders from the western shore of the frozen lake Kutjaure to their winter grazing grounds in the east. Suddenly, some reindeer at the front turned back, causing the ice to crack and several hundreds to drown.

'In the ensuing commotion the whole herd moved in circles, adding great pressure and weight on the ice,' said Erik Gustavsson, a manager at the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten. The reindeer crashed through the ice and then trampled on each other as they tried to climb out of the water, he said.

The indigenous Sami population live year-round in the harsh conditions of northern Sweden, Norway and Finland and are highly dependent on the reindeer for their livelihood. There are some 20,000 Swedish Sami who herd reindeer. Bertil Kielatis, chairman of the Sirges Sami village that owns the reindeer,said he had never seen anything similar in his lifetime and that there was no clear explanation as to why the herd hesistated to move forward. 'Probably, they were fightened by something or felt worried,' said Kielatis.

Video on the website of Sweden's television channel, SVT, showed hundreds of carcasses lining the muddy shore of lake Kutjaure, which has been used for decades to transport the reindeer from their summer grazing fields to the 'winterland', where they spend the winter months.

On Friday, two helicopters assisted the herders with dragging the dead reindeer from the lake. Kielatis said because of the herd's special breeding value, the economic loss could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As it is too expensive to bury or transport the dead, their bodies will most likely be scattered in the surrounding wilderness, he said.

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