The TARANDUS network

The TARANDUS network is a collaborative platform that brings together researchers, veterinarians, and stakeholders who work with reindeer health and welfare. It was established in 2021 to help address the growing challenges facing reindeer husbandry, especially those caused by climate change.

Why is it needed?

Reindeer husbandry is vital in northern Fennoscandia because it:

• Supports local food security, particularly in remote areas and is central to Sámi livelihoods, culture, and history

• Contributes to crisis preparedness, including during emergencies or conflict

• Provides ecosystem services, such as controlling shrub encroachment and preserving biodi-versity

However, climate change is making winters more unstable, with frequent freeze–thaw cycles that create ice-covered pastures. This limits access to natural grazing and forces herders to rely more on supplementary feeding, which can lead to increased stress, disease and altered behaviour in reindeer and place considerable physical and economic burden on the herders.

Why is it important?

By connecting around 100 active members across Fennoscandia and further afield, the Tarandus net-work strengthens preparedness and resilience in reindeer husbandry. It helps ensure that reindeer production remains sustainable, climate-adapted, and low-impact, while protecting animal welfare and supporting Sámi culture and northern food systems in a rapidly changing climate.

What does the TARANDUS network do?

The network provides a forum for sharing knowledge on reindeer health and welfare through:

• Discussions on disease outbreaks and emerging risks, encourage collaboration and new re-search projects, and supports climate-adapted preventive management practices

• Creating opportunities for PhD students and early-career researchers to learn, network, and present their work

Save the date!

Welcome to the 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference in Rovaniemi, Finland, 10–14 May 2027. Here you will find the conference website: AUC17 - Arctic Centre. The Tarandus network will hold a session and reindeer health and animal welfare during the conference. The deadline for submission of abstracts is September 30, 2026. Hope to see you there!

Would you like to join the network?

Please, contact Anna Omazic (anna.omazic@sva.se) if you are interested to join the TARANDUS network. When you sign up for the network, then you agree that your contact information will be shared within the network. 

TARANDUS network (The Arctic Research Network for Diseases in reindeer related to husbandry and climate change) is currently funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research.