Reindeer, the animal famous for being Santa Claus's sleigh puller on Christmas, is a species designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The reindeer, listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the Red List of endangered species created by the IUCN, is an animal that lives in cold northern regions. Rudolph, which mainly inhabits North American regions such as Canada, Finland, Greenland, and Norway, or northern European regions, is an endangered animal due to the loss of its habitat.

As a result of climate change, the reindeer's habitat is warming, and reindeer are unable to adapt. Reindeer are animals that live in cold regions and have undergone evolution over a long period of time to prevent heat loss even in cold environments. The reindeer's body is completely designed to adapt to cold regions, such as its fur-covered nose for insulation, its densely packed fur, and its small ears to prevent heat loss. However, if the reindeer's habitat suddenly warms due to climate change, the reindeer could die from heatstroke. Reindeer have almost no sweat glands and are therefore vulnerable to heat. In addition, if the temperature rises, reindeer may be exposed to mosquitoes that have come to their habitat, putting them at risk of contracting various diseases. In fact, Lapland in northern Sweden, which used to be an area of extreme cold, reaching minus 50 degrees Celsius, has seen its temperature rise to minus 20 degrees Celsius, and the reindeer population in Lapland has been reduced by more than half. The polar regions where reindeer live are experiencing a greater temperature rise than other regions.

When the reindeer's habitat warms up, not only is it difficult for the reindeer themselves to withstand, but it also becomes difficult for them to find food. Reindeer feed on plants such as moss that grow in cold regions, but as temperatures rise, it has become difficult to find food in their habitat. Reindeer can easily eat moss covered in snow, but the situation changes when it rains instead of snow. If it rains, the ground freezes, making it impossible to eat moss. Reindeer are known to travel up to 100 kilometers in severe cases to find food. Even if they travel that far and cannot find food, the reindeer will starve to death. In 2019, about 200 reindeer died in a mass starvation in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway.

The reindeer's habitat is also shrinking due to human development. As the forests where reindeer live are being cleared, human living space has expanded, but the reindeer's living space has decreased. In addition, there are many cases of reindeer being hunted. Reindeer are illegally hunted for their meat and antlers. We hope that poachers will realize that reindeer are an endangered species and stop illegal poaching.

Various environmental organizations are making various efforts to prevent the extinction of reindeer. The First Nations have conducted research on reindeer and have made efforts to protect mother reindeer and young reindeer, and as a result, the reindeer population has increased. WWF is also working to protect reindeer by raising awareness of the reindeer's endangered status and conducting fundraising campaigns. We hope that no more animals will lose their habitat due to the intensifying climate crisis.