Magic Mushroom stoned reindeer wandering in the road in Norway
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Norwegian reindeer owners
have a Christmas safety tip
for Santa —
put reflectors on his
fleet-footed animals so
they won’t get hit by cars,
Paul Casciato reports for
REUTERS.COM
December 21st,
2010.
About 2,000 reindeer have been
fitted this month with reflective
yellow collars or small antler tags
to cut down on the car crashes
that now kill 500 reindeer a year
and pose a danger to motorists
across Arctic Norway.
“It really works,”
Kristian Oevernes,
the leader of the project at
the Norwegian Public Roads
Administration,
told Reuters of the
project in Finnmark,
where the sun does
not rise in mid-winter.
A test drive on a snowmobile
showed that marked reindeer
were far more visible in the
dark than others.
Several people are injured
every year in car accidents
involving reindeer,
and one recent accident
in Finland was fatal.
“I guess so,”
Oevernes said,
when asked if Santa
might take up the safety tip.
.
.
“This is the first time it
(reindeer marking) has
happened on this scale.”
Sami herders had tried small
experiments to attach reflective
tape to the animals but the
glue failed in the cold.
Finnish herders had also
tried a reflective spray,
but it reduced the fur’s
ability to keep out the chill.
About 200,000 reindeer
live in Norway,
mostly owned by Sami indigenous
people who raise them for meat,
skins and antlers,
according to the International
Center for Reindeer Husbandry.
If the new project is successful,
supporters say,
reindeer owners or vehicle
insurance companies might be
interested in buying reflectors.
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