A Swirling Stampede

On the remote Arctic Tundra, reindeers were seen spinning what looks like a terrifying dance of death. But Ashanti Davis (historian) suspects that these reindeers are acting in a logical and coordinated way of fighting off a stealthy and cunning enemy. “Large herds of animals often stampede   as a form of defense, this large mass makes them harder to target by predators”, said Davis.

Schools of fish are known to form circles to confuse the attackers. Birds circle in the air for the same reason. “Reindeers stay together, so they stampede in a circle, creating almost like a reindeer cyclone”, she added.

But what could be attacking them here, in the high Arctic Tundra? Biologist, Jayde Lovel discovers Vikings one thousand years ago used to encounter these bizarre reindeer cyclones and effective defense against human hunters. “It is possible that their behavior: this formation in circles, may have been an evolved threat-response behavior, to being hunted by Vikings. They would put their vulnerable members in the center of the herd and strong members on the outside and run at this huge speed. You can imagine as a Viking with a sword or spear, it would be really difficult to tackle a bunch of strong stampeding reindeers”.

Reindeer weighs up to 660 pounds, it can run 50 miles per hour. During the spring they can mass in super herds of 500000 individuals, so when they feel under-threat, the danger to humans is very real. “Reindeers are like huge creatures, and like any other game in the North, reindeers are big enough to trample a human to death”, said Lovel.

Ashanti Davis added “Imagine being plowed down by a hundred reindeers, all of that power moving through those hooves, would mean you’d be pummeled like a sack of potatoes”.

Forget Bambi, worldwide, deers are a threat to humans. In the US, they are the deadliest animals, killing more people than dogs, bears, sharks, and alligators combined. But there’s no clear logical explanation to these rapidly rotating reindeers. Investigators can only speculate about what is sending them into a spin. Carin Bondar (Biologist) “They may be sensing danger. Something that we humans can’t see or feel”. “Whatever it is, the reindeers are not happy, they are ready to do whatever it takes to protect the herd” believes Kevin Kasky (Entomologist).