National Geographic Travelさんのインスタグラム写真 - (National Geographic TravelInstagram)「Photo by @JeffMauritzen and words by Justin Kavanagh | Nobody knows when reindeer came to Svalbard. Nobody knows how long ago this hardy beast adapted to the high Arctic by donning a whiter pelt and morphing into the sub-species known as the Svalbard reindeer. Were these stocky, bovine-looking creatures introduced by Swedish trappers as a food source? All we know was that by 1925 they’d been hunted to near extinction. But mankind wised up, passed smarter laws, and Svalbard’s are now among the most protected reindeer in Europe: The archipelago embraces seven of Norway’s 47 national parks. The migrant Samí people hunted reindeer for centuries before they decided to herd them, feed them, and practice sustainable farming long before city scientists came up with the term. The Samí and their reindeer crossed the borders of Norway, Sweden and Finland, in search of lichen to feed the herd. The remains of many ancient reindeer traps still dot these northern landscapes. While no borders stop the migration of Arctic animals, we bipeds had our passports inspected in Tromsø on our way north. If you’re a reindeer of course, no passport required. #Svalbard #reindeer #Norway #arctic」7月6日 19時00分