Research Note

Reindeer on Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard

IAN GJERTZ

Gjertz, I. 1995: Reindeer on Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard 1995. Polar Research 14(1). 87-88. Svalbard reindeer were exterminated on the island of Prins Karls Forland just after the turn of the last century. In July 1994, after a period of 90 years, reindeer were again observed on the island. Ian Gjertz, Norsk Polarinstitutt, P. 0. Box 5072 Majorstuen, N-0301 Oslo, Norway.

The Svalbard subspecies of reindeer (Rangifer On Prins Karls Forland reindeer were appar- tarandus platyrhynchus) is only found in the Sval- ently exterminated before 1926 (Wollebzk 1926). bard archipelago. When the archipelago was dis- According to Bruce (1908), who mapped Prins covered, around year 1600, reindeer were Karls Forland just after the turn of the century, abundant throughout much of the ice-free parts reindeer were occasionally found on the island. of Svalbard (Lon0 1959). Since then, excessive In 1906 Bruce (1907) saw two reindeer at the hunting reduced the numbers and distribution northern end of the island. Further south on the dramatically. According to Wollebaek (1926) island there were two groups of overwintering hunting drove the reindeer from the easily access- trappers in 1907. The leader of one of these ible western coast of Spitsbergen, while they were groups kept a detailed diary in which all game still abundant on the northern and eastern coasts caught or seen were registered (Pedersen 1908); of Spitsbergen as well as on Barents~yaand Edg- however, no mention is made of reindeer. This e~ya.The original size of the reindeer population suggests that reindeer must have been scarce. is not known, but Norderhaug (1969) roughly After the reports of Bruce (1907). I have found estimated it to be 6000-7000, a figure which must no observations of reindeer on Prins Karls For- be unrealistically low as Britsland & Alendal land in the literature or trappers’ diaries from (1985) have shown that there probably were the island. This suggests that the reindeer were 11,000 reindeer in Svalbard in 1980, a time when exterminated on the island around 1907. Since large tracts of former reindeer habitat had not reindeer were rare or also exterminated along the been recognised. western coast of Spitsbergen from Kongsfjorden Though reindeer could be found throughout to Daudmanns~yra,there was no local source to large parts of Svalbard, they were not abundant in restock Prins Karls Forland. all areas. Kongsfjorden apparently had numerous In 1978, fifteen reindeer were re-introduced to animals, while the animals were less abundant on Broggerhalv~ya,in Kongsfjorden. as part of an Prins Karls Forland and in southern Spitsbergen. ecological experiment. By 1993 there were close (Lano 1959). According to Wollebaek (1926), to 400 reindeer in the Kongsfjorden area (N. A. reindeer were exterminated along the western aritsland, biologist Norsk Polarinstitutt, personal coasts north of Isfjorden north to Krossfjorden, commun.). The following winter a large part of and on Prins Karls Forland: in addition Lon0 these animals either perished or moved out of the (1959) states that in the Kongsfjorden-Krossfjor- area. den area this may have been as early as in 1861. In 1984 and 1985 a total of 12 reindeer were Reindeer in Svalbard were totally protected in introduced to Daudmanns~yra,on the northern 1925, but large scale poaching is known to have side of the mouth of Isfjorden (E. Persen. con- been common for many decades since then. servation officer for Svalbard, Sysselmannen, per- 88 I. Gjertz sonal commun.). These animals have slowly presented here are probably the first on Prins increased and in 1994 numbered at least 6C-70 Karls Forland in 87 years. It is not known if the (H. Lund, trapper. personal commun.). In the animals walked across the ice from Spitsbergen, winter of 1994 reindeer could be found in the or swam. As stated earlier reindeer have been re- mountains along the whole coast from Daud- introduced into two areas on the western coast of mannssyra to Kongsfjorden. Hans Lund. who has Spitsbergen; they are now found more or less a trapping station in the area. claims that there continuously along the entire coast between these was a marked increase of animals in 1994. This two areas. Part of Prins Karls Forland has a rich observed increase may therefore be partly vegetation and offers excellent grazing for rein- explained by the altered situation in Kongsfjor- deer. These areas had not been grazed for 90 den. years, and it has probably just been a matter of In July 1991. I hiked on Prins Karls Forland. time before reindeer from Spitsbergen, notably from the northern shore of Richardlaguna around the Kongsfjorden area, would move out to this the northern tip of the island and down the west- large island situated merely 15 km from Brsg- ern coast to Salpynten. the southernmost tip of gerhalvsya. the island. This trip lasted for six days and I saw My observations indicate that a minimum of two reindeer on the island and signs of more three reindeer were present on the island in July animals. despite the fact that the weather was 1994. probably more. According to 0ritsland & particularly bad most of the time, with dense fog Alendal (1985). chances that the introduction of and little or no visibility. On the northern tip of three or four reindeer would lead to the devel- the island there were fresh tracks of one small opment of viable populations are slight. The intro- reindeer. No animals were sighted, but this may duction of eight animals, however. would have been due to the dense fog that prevailed in significantly increase the chances of an increase the area. This area was characterised by rich to such a population. As the number of reindeer vegetation due to the large bird cliffs and offers on the island is unknown, it remains to be seen excellent grazing opportunities. No reindeer or whether the present recolonisation of Prins Karls tracks were 5een until Tvihyrningen. roughly Forland will be successful. 50 km further south. Here two large adult males were observed grazing on thick layers of lichens. Based on observations of tracks and faecal matter. it can be assumed that the reindeer had been in References the area for some time. but the faecal matter did not appear to be from winter. i.e. loose pellets. Bruce. W. S 1907: Prince Charles Foreland Scorrish Grogroph In addition, Tvihyrningen has a large bird cliff Mag. IY(J7. 141-156. and is therefore richer in vegetation than most of Bruce. H’. S. 1908: The exploration of Prince Charles Foreland 190&1907. Geograph. J. 32 /2J. 13%150. the surrounding areas. The large valley, just south Len0. 0 1959: Reinen pi Svalbard Forrna (Osh) 1-7. 1-31. of Tvihvrningen and connecting the western and (In Norwegian). eastern coasts of the island. was not inspected. Nordcrhaug. M. 1969: Svalhard-rcinen i 1960-irene. Beiteareal No more signs of reindeer were observed before og hcstand. Ihurra (Oslol 22. 15S264. (In Norwegian). Salfjellet. the southernmost part of the island. Bribland. N. & Alrndal. E. 1985: Svalbardreinen. Bestandens storrelsc og livzhrstorie Pp. 62-77 in Britsland. N. A (ed ): 30 km further south. Here several fresh tracks .Siwlburdrcrneii og dens lrusgrundog. Norsk Polarinstitutt, were observed. Oslo 7-78 pp. (In Norwegian) Norsk Polarinstitutt and Svsselmannen (the Pedersen. P. 1908: Unpublished trapping diary from Prim Karls Governor of Svalbard) have been conducting bio- Forland 1907-1908. Diary No. 173. Norsk Polarinrtiiuii Iihrary. Oslo. logical wrveys at Prins Karls Forland more or less Wollchak. A. 1926. The Spitsbergen reindeer. Rexdtarer- au annually since 1985. and hitherto no reindeer De irorske srarsrmlrrsrerrede Spitsbergr,reliJpedisjo,ler 4. 1- have been observed. The observations of reindeer 71 + 6 pl.