Natural History Wanderings

A sad holiday story. Reindeer populations are shrinking. The Washington post reports the main causes are

No. 1 cause they found was inbreeding. Reindeer are split into small, shrinking groups and have very few mating options. Without more genetic variation, the populations will eventually collapse, the researchers said. Poaching is also a problem, since reindeer antlers can fetch a pretty price.

Read full story at Reindeer population are diminishing due to inbreeding and poaching – The Washington Post.