A woman in Norway had an unexpected Christmas-y visit from several reindeer that managed to break into her home. And while it made for an amusing video, it’s a troubling sign of the state of the Arctic climate.
What’s happening?
In the video, shared on Reindeer Spirits on Instagram (@reindeerspirit), three reindeer, including one white one, trampled through the home in Hammerfest, Norway, as the homeowner rather calmly shooed them away.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” they wrote in the caption.
They added that they suspect some extreme weather caused the reindeer’s drop-in. “It’s so hot up north, they were probably trying to escape the sun — but I guess they forgot to ask for permission.”
Luckily, the reindeer appeared unharmed and didn’t seem to do too much damage to the home, even taking care to avoid hitting their antlers on the doorway on their way out, something many people in the comments noted.
Why is the reindeer break-in important?
Norway, Sweden, and Finland experienced an unprecedented heat wave this past summer, with temperatures hitting above 86 degrees Fahrenheit for a record 22 days, per The Guardian. The outlet reported that reindeer and other wildlife died during the heat wave or traveled into towns seeking shade. Drivers were even warned to be on the lookout for reindeer lying in the road or tunnels to try to cool themselves.
These extreme weather events have been a part of Earth’s life cycle, but scientists agree that human-caused heat-trapping pollution is exacerbating these events, making them more intense, dangerous, and unfortunately frequent.
As wildlife reacts and comes closer to humans due to these high temperatures, there’s a greater risk for bad outcomes for both animals and humans alike.
What’s being done about reindeer and other animals invading homes?
Conservation efforts are underway across the globe, but everyday habits matter too. Reducing reliance on dirty energy sources is key to cutting down on planet-warming emissions. That can look like upgrading to electric vehicles and appliances, or something as simple as cutting down on the consumption of new items to lower the production of plastic and other materials.
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