– Humans have a kind of defense mechanism in their bodies, you don’t give up even if things look very dark. So says Nils Mathis Anti (52), reindeer owner from Hemnes in Nordland. He knows painfully well that that statement is true. Last winter, Nils Mathis and his family lost over 100 animals due to copper poisoning. Reindeer wobbled and were unsteady At the end of March, some of the animals began to behave strangely. The family had started gathering the herd, soon they were going to move to summer pasture. One day Nils Mathis discovers something that worries him. – I see some of the reindeer have difficulties with their balance, they stagger almost like drunk people, says Anti with a touch of gallows humour. While collecting reindeer, Nils Mathis discovers something that worries him. Reindeer struggling with balance. Photo: Privat He understands that something is seriously wrong. – I sound the full alarm. Already the next day, the first animals die. No one can understand why the animals die. They have access to pasture and liquid. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority suspects that the animals have been poisoned and reports the matter to the police. The veterinary institute gets involved, this is something they have not seen before, this is a mystery. The veterinary institute has used a lot of resources to find out why the reindeer herd got sick. This picture taken in connection with field autopsy. Photo: Veterinærinstitutet The hard everyday life For the family, this will be hard, physically but not least psychologically. Nils Mathis and his wife, Eva Stina Andersson, work almost around the clock in April and May. – At the start you didn’t have time to think about what had hit you, it was just out looking for sick animals and removing dead animals from nature, says Nils Mathis. Nils Mathis and Eva Stina found dead animals every day. Photo: Veterinary Institute The municipality was afraid that this could spread to other animals and delivered a container where all dead animals were to be dumped. – If I was afraid? Nils Mathis takes a moment to think. – I was very scared, I feared that the whole herd would run away. That my whole life as a reindeer owner would end here. Eva Stina calls for help from her family. The sister and her roommate arrive to assist. Eva Stina is grateful for the help she got from close to her family, but also from others who have helped the family in a difficult time. Photo: Privat Wanted to protect his sons At the start of the tragedy, Nils Mathis did not want his sons Ánte-Niila (17) and Johan-Aslak (15) to join the herd. – Me and Eva Stina thought that it’s not something they need to see, dead and sick animals. But we talked about it at home, they knew what was going on. – What did the boys say? – He, the youngest boy, said clearly that he wanted to join the reindeer, so he was allowed to join eventually. The brother did not want to join. Ánte-Niila (left), did not want to join the herd when the animals were sick. Little brother Johan-Aslak, on the other hand, went with his parents to the herd. Photo: Privat Sick animals had to be euthanized Some of the Sims began to miscarry, while others suffered uterine prolapse. Eventually the family had to make a difficult decision. – You always think the best for your animals, and when you see reindeer walking with their uterus hanging out, there is only one way out, they must be euthanized. The veterinary institute took samples from the dead animals. Nils Mathis and Eva Stina did not want to euthanize the animals themselves. The family had to shoot and euthanize sick animals. Photo: Veterinærinstituttet – I killed three animals and Eva Stina one. Then I gave the rifle to my brother-in-law and said do what you have to do. The brother-in-law had to euthanize close to 30 animals. – When I heard the shots, it really hurt my heart, says Nils Mathis quietly. The family’s love for their animals is strong. The samples showed high levels of copper in the liver and kidneys of several animals, although the findings varied from animal to animal. – In ruminants, copper can bind to other minerals and be excreted, but still damage the digestive system and cause disease. This may be one of the explanations for variations in this case. Other factors may also have played a role and reinforced the effect of copper, writes the Veterinary Institute. Unsure of consequences Neither the family nor professionals know what copper poisoning does to the rest of the herd. – We intend to slaughter a reindeer, which the veterinary institute will take samples from, so we can confirm whether you can eat the meat or not, says Anti. Now the herd is healthy and the work goes on as normal, but no one knows whether the copper poisoning will cause lasting effects. Photo: Veterinærinstituttet Economically, it will also be tough going forward for the family. Even if the meat were to be edible, the family has no reindeer to sell. – This is our life, we have no income from elsewhere. This year’s income will be nothing, we have no calves to sell. The investigation is in a phase where the police are surveying the use and storage of copper in the area. The police want tips in the case. – We want it to be safe and good for animals to graze and live on Herøy. Help us find the source of the copper pollution so that no more animals have to suffer as the reindeer did, says Stine Marie Brox Gundersen from the Nordland Police District. The police want to find out how the copper ended up in nature. Photo: The police The family was hit before It is not the first time the family has experienced reindeer tragedy. In 2014, they lost close to 100 reindeer that died of thirst. Cold in combination with wind and minimal rainfall over a long period meant that the natural water sources froze and the animals’ access to liquid disappeared. This happened at Sleneset in Lurøy municipality. Looking ahead The family chooses to look bright to the future even after such a tragedy. – I can’t think of anything other than working as a reindeer, says Nils Mathis. He is ready for the big job that now awaits the family. – We remember that it took a few years after the reindeer death in 2014 to build up the reindeer herd, and that will be the case this time as well. But you just have to roll up your sleeves, says Nils Mathis Anti optimistically. Johan-Aslak feeds his reindeer. Photo: Private
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Mass death of reindeer in Herøy: Daily Nils Mathis found sick animals that had to be killed – news Sápmi
