Reindeer With Glow-in-the-Dark Antler Goes Viral; What’s the Reason Behind It?

Reindeer usually don't have glow-in-the-dark antlers, but some photographs captured in Finland show that they could, and there's a reason why.

Reindeer With Glow-In-The-Dark Antler Goes Viral

Last week, Nature was Amazing shared two photos of a reindeer with glow-in-the-dark antlers. Many were surprised by the sight, and it's evident that the post has already amassed 12 million views as of this writing.

One said it looked "a little creepy at night." However, another said it was cool.

Apparently, the glow-in-the-dark antler is not natural. In Finland, the locals use reflective paint to help reduce the number of reindeer/car accidents. Finland reportedly has 4,000 cases annually, and the glow-in-the-dark antler will help drivers spot the animal and, possibly, avoid them.

The paint is eco-friendly and does not glow on its own. It is a reflective paint that only glows when a light hits it.

In this way, drivers will immediately notice them as the car headlights brighten their antlers. However, the sight might be terrifying for drivers unaware of it or haven't encountered the reindeer with reflective paint on their antlers.

The initiative of using reflective paint on the reindeer's antlers reportedly began in 2016. Unfortunately, it wasn't very effective in minimizing the annual casualties.

The locals reportedly also created an app where drivers could tap their mobile phone screens and register any reindeer they see in their area to notify others of the reindeer territory.

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Finnish Phone App to Avoid Road Kill

Approximately 300,000 reindeer roam freely through the Lapland region of Northern Finland. According to officials, traffic accidents kill about 4,000 annually, and compensating reindeer herders can be costly.

Most accidents happen in the gloomy winter months when seeing the animals is difficult. Several attempts to reduce roadkill have failed, such as fluorescently spray-painting antlers, attaching reflectors to reindeer necks, and employing moveable traffic signs to alert people to the presence of reindeer as they meander across the lichen-covered fells.

Authorities are making their most recent attempt with a smartphone app called "Porokello," which is Finnish for "Reindeer Bell."

It appears to be effective because a month later, there were 300 fewer incidents involving reindeer on Finnish Lapland's roads than in the same month in 2015. The largest town in Lapland close to the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, has a business center headed by Jaakko Ylinampa, who claims that the software saves herders money.

Thanks to a one-button interface, drivers may register any reindeer sighted near roadways by simply tapping the screen of their smartphones. The app alerts other app users approaching the area and uses GPS technology to establish a warning zone that is one mile (or 1.5 kilometers) long and lasts an hour.

According to Ylinampa states, cars slow down if they see reindeer. Once they have cleared the warning area, they resume their regular speed.

According to Anna-Leena Jankala, instead of trudging through the deep snow, reindeer frequently stray into highways that intersect grazing grounds. Her family owns a reindeer farm in Narkaus, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Rovaniemi.

Even with government compensation, losing a female reindeer can cause herders great distress and set them back years.

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Check out more news and information on Reindeer in Science Times.