Starvation deaths of 200 reindeer in Arctic caused by climate change, say researchers

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/30/deaths-of-200-reindeer-in-arctic-caused-by-climate-change-say-researchers

Agence France-Presse
Tue 30 Jul 2019 03.07 BST

About 200 reindeer have been found dead from starvation in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard, an unusually high number, the Norwegian Polar Institute has said, pointing the finger at climate change.

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Ashild Onvik Pedersen, the head of the census, said the high degree of mortality was a consequence of climate change, which according to climate scientists, is happening twice as fast in the Arctic as the rest of the world.
Life in the fastest warming place on earth

“Climate change is making it rain much more. The rain falls on the snow and forms a layer of ice on the tundra, making grazing conditions very poor for animals,” she said.

In winter, Svalbard reindeer find vegetation in the snow using their hooves, but alternating freezing and thawing periods can create layers of impenetrable ice, depriving the reindeers of nourishment.

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