Reindeer
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Genus:	Rangifer C.H. Smith, 1827
Species:	R. tarandus
Binomial name
Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
many, see text
Reindeer habitat divided into North American and Eurasian parts

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous,^[1] some of its subspecies are rare and one (or two, depending on taxonomy) has already gone extinct.^[2][3]

Reindeer vary considerably in color and size. Both sexes grow antlers, though they are typically larger in males. There are a few populations where females lack antlers completely.

Wild reindeer hunting and herding of semi-domesticated reindeer (for meat, hides, antlers, milk and transportation) are important to several Arctic and Subarctic people.^[4] Even far outside its range, the reindeer is well known due to the myth, probably originating in early 19th century America, in which Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a popular element of Christmas.^[5] In Lapland, reindeer pull pulks.^[6]

Distribution and habitat[link]

Large male reindeer

The reindeer is a widespread and numerous species in the northern Holarctic, being present in both tundra and taiga (boreal forest).^[7] Originally, the reindeer was found in Scandinavia, eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and northern China north of the 50th latitude. In North America, it was found in Canada, Alaska (USA), and the northern conterminous USA from Washington to Maine. In the 19th century, it was apparently still present in southern Idaho.^[1] It also occurred naturally on Sakhalin, Greenland, and probably even in historical times in Ireland. During the late Pleistocene era, reindeer were found as far south as Nevada and Tennessee in North America and Spain in Europe.^[7][8] Today, wild reindeer have disappeared from many areas within this large historical range, especially from the southern parts, where it vanished almost everywhere. Large populations of wild reindeer are still found in Norway, Finland, Siberia, Greenland, Alaska, and Canada.

The George River reindeer herd in the tundra of Quebec and Labrador in eastern Canada, once numbered world’s largest 8-900,000 animals, stands December 2011 at 74,000 – a drop of up to 92% because of Iron-ore mining, flooding for hydro-power and road-building.^[9]

Southernmost reindeer: a South Georgian reindeer with velvet-covered antlers

Domesticated reindeer are mostly found in northern Fennoscandia and Russia, with a herd of approximately 150-170 reindeer living around the Cairngorms region in Scotland. The last remaining wild tundra reindeer in Europe are found in portions of southern Norway.^[10]

A few reindeer from Norway were introduced to the South Atlantic island of South Georgia in the beginning of the 20th century. The South Georgian reindeer total some 2600 animals in two distinct herds separated by glaciers. Although the flag and the coat of arms of the territory contain an image of a reindeer, they are under threat of eradication because of the environmental damage they cause. Around 4000 reindeer have been introduced into the French sub-Antarctic archipelago of Kerguelen Islands. East Iceland has a small herd of about 2500–3000 animals.^[11]

Caribou and reindeer numbers have fluctuated historically, but many herds are in decline across their range.^[12] This global decline is linked to climate change for northern, migratory caribou and reindeer herds and industrial disturbance of caribou habitat for sedentary, non-migratory herds.^[13]

Morphology[link]

Size[link]

The characteristically small and relatively short-legged reindeer from Svalbard

The females usually measure 162–205 cm (64–81 in) in length and weigh 80–120 kg (180–260 lb)^[14] The males (or "bulls") are typically larger (although the extent to which varies in the different subspecies), measuring 180–214 cm (71–84 in) in length and usually weighing 159–182 kg (350–400 lb),^[14] though exceptionally large males have weighed as much as 318 kg (700 lb).^[14] Shoulder height typically measure from 85 to 150 cm (33 to 59 in), and the tail is 14 to 20 cm (5.5 to 7.9 in) long. The subspecies R. t. platyrhynchus from Svalbard island is very small compared to other subspecies (a phenomenon known as insular dwarfism), with females having a length of approximately 150 cm (59 in), and a weight around 53 kg (120 lb) in the spring and 70 kg (150 lb) in the autumn.^[15] Males are approximately 160 cm (63 in) long, and weigh around 65 kg (140 lb) in the spring and 90 kg (200 lb) in the autumn.^[15] The reindeer from Svalbard are also relatively short-legged and may have a shoulder height of as little as 80 cm (31 in),^[15] thereby following Allen's rule.

Domesticated reindeer are shorter-legged and heavier than their wild counterparts.^{[citation needed]}

Fur[link]

The colour of the fur varies considerably, both individually, and depending on season and subspecies. Northern populations, which usually are relatively small, are whiter, while southern populations, which typically are relatively large, are darker. This can be seen well in North America, where the northernmost subspecies, the Peary caribou, is the whitest and smallest subspecies of the continent, while the southernmost subspecies, the Woodland Caribou, is the darkest and largest.^[16] The coat has two layers of fur: a dense woolly undercoat and longer-haired overcoat consisting of hollow, air-filled hairs.

Antlers[link]

Reindeer antlers grow again each year under a layer of fur called velvet. This reindeer is losing the velvet layer on one of its antlers.

In most populations both sexes grow antlers and it is the only cervid species in which females grow them as well as males.^[17] In the Scandinavian populations, old males' antlers fall off in December, young males' fall off in the early spring, and females' fall off in the summer. The antlers typically have two separate groups of points, a lower and upper. There is considerable subspecific variation in the size of the antlers (e.g., rather small and spindly in the northernmost subspecies),^[16] but, on average, the bull reindeer's antlers are the second largest of any extant deer, after the moose. In the largest races, the antlers of big males can range up to 100 cm (39 in) in width and 135 cm (53 in) in beam length. They have the largest antlers relative to body size among living deer species.^[17]

Nose and hooves[link]

Reindeer have specialized noses featuring nasal turbinate bones that dramatically increase the surface area within the nostrils. Incoming cold air is warmed by the animal's body heat before entering the lungs, and water is condensed from the expired air and captured before the deer's breath is exhaled, used to moisten dry incoming air and possibly absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes.

Reindeer hooves adapt to the season: in the summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction. In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof, which cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep it from slipping. This also enables them to dig down (an activity known as "cratering")^[18][19] through the snow to their favorite food, a lichen known as reindeer moss. The knees of many species of reindeer are adapted to produce a clicking sound as they walk.^[20]

Vision[link]

Reindeer are thought to be the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light. A study conducted by researchers from the University College London in 2011 revealed that reindeer can see light with wavelengths as low as 320 nm, considerably below the human threshold of 400 nm. It is thought that this ability helps them to survive in the Arctic, because many objects that blend into the landscape in normally visible light, such as urine and fur, produce sharp contrasts in ultraviolet.^[21]

Ecology and behavior[link]

Diet[link]

Caribou licking salt from roadway in British Columbia

The size of the antlers play a significant role in establishing the hierarchy in the group^[7]

A herd of barren-ground caribou at the Thelon River. This subspecies is a long-distance migrant.^[16]

Reindeer are ruminants, having a four-chambered stomach. They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. However, they also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses. There is some evidence to suggest that on occasion, they will also feed on lemmings,^[22] arctic char, and bird eggs.^[23] Reindeer herded by the Chukchis have been known to devour mushrooms enthusiastically in late summer.^[24]

Reproduction[link]

Mating occurs from late September to early November. Males battle for access to females. Two males will lock each other's antlers together and try to push each other away. The most dominant males can collect as many as 15-20 females to mate with. A male will stop eating during this time and lose much of its body reserves.^{[citation needed]}

Calves may be born the following May or June. After 45 days, the calves are able to graze and forage but continue suckling until the following autumn and become independent from their mothers.^{[citation needed]}

Migration[link]

Some populations of the North American caribou migrate the furthest of any terrestrial mammal, travelling up to 5,000 km (3,100 mi) a year, and covering 1,000,000 km² (390,000 sq mi).^[1][25] Other populations (e.g., in Europe) have a shorter migration, and some, for example the subspecies R. t. pearsoni and R. t. platyrhynchus (both restricted to islands), are residents that only make local movements.^{[citation needed]}

Normally travelling about 19–55 km (12–34 mi) a day while migrating, the caribou can run at speeds of 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph).^[1] During the spring migration smaller herds will group together to form larger herds of 50,000 to 500,000 animals but during autumn migrations, the groups become smaller, and the reindeer begin to mate. During the winter, reindeer travel to forested areas to forage under the snow. By spring, groups leave their winter grounds to go to the calving grounds. A reindeer can swim easily and quickly, normally at 6.5 km/h (4.0 mph) but if necessary at 10 km/h (6.2 mph), and migrating herds will not hesitate to swim across a large lake or broad river.^[1]

Predators[link]

Reindeer standing on snow to avoid blood-sucking insects.

A variety of predators prey heavily on reindeer. Golden Eagles prey on calves and are the most prolific hunter on calving grounds.^[26] Wolverine will take newborn calves or birthing cows, as well as (less commonly) infirm adults. Brown bears and polar bears prey on reindeer of all ages, but like the wolverines they are most likely to attack weaker animals, such as calves and sick deer, since healthy adult reindeer can usually outpace a bear. The Gray Wolf is the most effective natural predator of adult reindeer and sometimes takes large numbers, especially during the winter. A single wolf pack can follow and live off of a particular reindeer herd for months.^{[citation needed]}

As carrion, reindeer are fed on opportunistically by foxes, ravens and hawks. Blood-sucking insects, such as black flies and mosquitoes, are a plague to reindeer during the summer and can cause enough stress to inhibit feeding and calving behaviors.^[27] In one case, the entire body of a reindeer was found in the stomach of a Greenland shark,^[28] a species found in the far northern Atlantic, although this was quite possibly a case of scavenging considering the dissimilarity of habitats between the ungulate and the large, slow-moving fish. The population numbers of some of these predators is influenced by the migration of reindeer.^{[citation needed]}

Subspecies[link]

The Peary caribou is a relatively small and pale subspecies found in the tundra of far northern North America. Unsurprisingly, it is part of the group known as Tundra reindeer.

In 1961 the reindeer classification was divided into two major groups, the tundra reindeer (with six subspecies) and the woodland reindeer (with three subspecies).^{[citation needed]} Some of the tundra's subspecies are small-bodied, high-Arctic island forms. These island subspecies are probably not closely related, since the Svalbard reindeer seems to have evolved from large European reindeer, whereas Peary caribou and the extinct Arctic reindeer are closely related and probably evolved in high-Arctic North America.^[2]

The following is a partial list; four subspecies which are restricted to Russia and neighbouring regions have been left out. These are R. tarandus buskensis, R. tarandus pearsoni (Novaya Zemlya reindeer), R. tarandus phylarchus (Kamchatka/Okhotsk reindeer) and R. tarandus sibiricus (Siberian Tundra reindeer).^[29]

Tundra reindeer[link]

• †Arctic reindeer (R. tarandus eogroenlandicus), an extinct subspecies found until 1900 in eastern Greenland.
• Peary caribou (R. tarandus pearyi), found in the northern islands of the Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada.
• Svalbard reindeer (R. tarandus platyrhynchus), found on the Svalbard islands of Norway, is the smallest subspecies of reindeer.
• Mountain reindeer (R. tarandus tarandus), found in the Arctic tundra of Eurasia, including the Fennoscandia peninsula of northern Europe.
• Porcupine caribou or Grant's caribou (R. tarandus granti), which are found in Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Very similar to R. tarandus groenlandicus, and probably better regarded as a junior synonym of that subspecies.^[29][30]

Approximate range of caribou subspecies in North America. Overlap is possible for contiguous range. Subspecies groenlandicus and pearyi mix on some arctic islands, and granti is probably a synonym of groenlandicus. Populations here included in caribou are sometimes divided into four separate subspecies (see text)

• Barren-ground caribou (R. tarandus groenlandicus), found in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada and in western Greenland.

Woodland reindeer[link]

• Finnish forest reindeer (R. tarandus fennicus), found in the wild in only two areas of the Fennoscandia peninsula of Northern Europe, in Finnish/Russian Karelia, and a small population in central south Finland. The Karelia population reaches far into Russia, however, so far that it remains an open question whether reindeer further to the east are R. t. fennicus as well.^{[citation needed]}
• Migratory woodland caribou (R. tarandus caribou), or forest caribou, once found in the North American taiga (boreal forest) from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as New England, Idaho, and Washington. Woodland caribou have disappeared from most of their original southern range and are considered threatened where they remain, with the notable exception of the Migratory woodland caribou of northern Quebec and Labrador, Canada. The name of the Cariboo district of central British Columbia relates to their once-large numbers there, but they have almost vanished from that area in the last century. A herd is protected in the Caribou Mountains in Alberta. The above quoted range includes R. tarandus caboti (Labrador caribou), R. tarandus osborni (Osborn's caribou – from British Columbia) and R. tarandus terraenovae (Newfoundland caribou). Based on a review in 1961, these were considered invalid and included in R. tarandus caribou, but some recent authorities have considered them all valid, even suggesting that they are quite distinct.^[29][31] An analysis of mtDNA in 2005 found differences between the caribous from Newfoundland, Labrador, south-western Canada and south-eastern Canada, but maintained all in R. tarandus caribou.^[30]
• †Queen Charlotte Islands caribou (R. tarandus dawsoni) from the Queen Charlotte Islands was believed to represent a distinct subspecies. It became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. However, recent DNA analysis from mitochondrial DNA of the remains from those reindeer suggest that the animals from the Queen Charlotte Islands were not genetically distinct from the Canadian mainland reindeer subspecies.^[3]

Reindeer and humans[link]

Hunting[link]

Reindeer pulling a sled in Russia

Reindeer hunting by humans has a very long history, and caribou/wild reindeer "may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting."^[4]

Humans started hunting reindeer in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, and humans are today the main predator in many areas. Norway and Greenland have unbroken traditions of hunting wild reindeer from the ice age until the present day. In the non-forested mountains of central Norway, such as Jotunheimen, it is still possible to find remains of stone-built trapping pits, guiding fences, and bow rests, built especially for hunting reindeer. These can, with some certainty, be dated to the Migration Period, although it is not unlikely that they have been in use since the Stone Age.^{[citation needed]}

Norway is now preparing to apply for nomination as a World Heritage Site for areas with traces and traditions of reindeer hunting in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Reinheimen National Park and Rondane National Park in Central Sør-Norge (Southern Norway). There is in these parts of Norway an unbroken tradition of reindeer hunting from post-glacial Stone Age until today.^{[citation needed]}

Wild caribou are still hunted in North America and Greenland. In the traditional lifestyle of the Inuit people, Northern First Nations people, Alaska Natives, and the Kalaallit of Greenland, the caribou is an important source of food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Many Gwichʼin people, who depend on the Porcupine caribou, still follow traditional caribou management practices that include a prohibition against selling caribou meat and limits on the number of caribou to be taken per hunting trip.^[32]

The blood of the caribou was supposedly mixed with alcohol as drink by hunters and loggers in colonial Quebec to counter the cold. This drink is now enjoyed without the blood as a wine and whiskey drink known as Caribou.^[33][34]

Reindeer husbandry[link]

A reindeer sled, Arkhangelsk, Russia. Late nineteenth-century photochrom.

Milking reindeer in the 19th century

Reindeer fur coat

Reindeer have been herded for centuries by several Arctic and Subarctic people including the Sami and the Nenets. They are raised for their meat, hides, and antlers and, to a lesser extent, for milk and transportation. Reindeer are not considered fully domesticated, as they generally roam free on pasture grounds. In traditional nomadic herding, reindeer herders migrate with their herds between coast and inland areas according to an annual migration route and herds are keenly tended. However, reindeer were not bred in captivity, though they were tamed for milking as well as for use as draught animals or beasts of burden.^{[citation needed]}

The use of reindeer as semi-domesticated livestock in Alaska was introduced in the late 19th century by the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, with assistance from Sheldon Jackson, as a means of providing a livelihood for Native peoples there.^[35] Reindeer were imported first from Siberia, and later also from Norway. A regular mail run in Wales, Alaska, used a sleigh drawn by reindeer.^[36] In Alaska, reindeer herders use satellite telemetry to track their herds, using online maps and databases to chart the herd's progress.^{[citation needed]}

Economy[link]

The reindeer has (or has had) an important economic role for all circumpolar peoples, including the Saami, Nenets, Khants, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Chukchi, and Koryaks in Eurasia. It is believed that domestication started between the Bronze and Iron Ages. Siberian deer owners also use the reindeer to ride on (Siberian reindeer are larger than their Scandinavian relatives). For breeders, a single owner may own hundreds or even thousands of animals. The numbers of Russian herders have been drastically reduced since the fall of the Soviet Union. The fur and meat is sold, which is an important source of income. Reindeer were introduced into Alaska near the end of the 19th century; they interbreed with native caribou subspecies there. Reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula have experienced significant losses to their herds from animals (such as wolves) following the wild caribou during their migrations.^{[citation needed]}

Reindeer meat is popular in the Scandinavian countries. Reindeer meatballs are sold canned. Sautéed reindeer is the best-known dish in Lapland. In Alaska and Finland, reindeer sausage is sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. Reindeer meat is very tender and lean. It can be prepared fresh, but also dried, salted, hot- and cold-smoked. In addition to meat, almost all internal organs of reindeer can be eaten, some being traditional dishes.^[37] Furthermore, Lapin Poron liha, fresh reindeer meat completely produced and packed in Finnish Lapland, is protected in Europe with PDO classification.^[38][39]

Reindeer antler is powdered and sold as an aphrodisiac, nutritional or medicinal supplement to Asian markets.

Caribou have been a major source of subsistence for Canadian Inuit.

In history[link]

Both Aristotle and Theophrastus have short accounts – probably based on the same source – of an ox-sized deer species, named tarandos, living in the land of the Bodines in Scythia, which was able to change the colour of its fur to obtain camouflage. The latter is probably a misunderstanding of the seasonal change in reindeer fur colour. The descriptions have been interpreted as being of reindeer living in the southern Ural Mountains at c. 350 BC^[40]

Tragelaphus or Deer-Goat

A deer-like animal described by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (chapter 6.26) from the Hercynian Forest in the year 53 BC is most certainly to be interpreted as reindeer:^[40][41]

There is an ox shaped like a stag. In the middle of its forehead a single horn grows between its ears, taller and straighter than the animal horns with which we are familiar. At the top this horn spreads out like the palm of a hand or the branches of a tree. The females are of the same form as the males, and their horns are the same shape and size.

According to Olaus Magnus's Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus – printed in Rome in 1555 – Gustav I of Sweden sent 10 reindeer to Albert I, Duke of Prussia, in the year 1533. It may be these animals that Conrad Gessner had seen or heard of.

Name etymology[link]

The name rangifer, which Linnaeus chose as the name for the reindeer genus, was used by Albertus Magnus in his De animalibus, fol. Liber 22, Cap. 268: "Dicitur Rangyfer quasi ramifer". This word may go back to a Saami word raingo.^[40] For the origin of the word tarandus, which Linnaeus chose as the species epithet, he made reference to Ulisse Aldrovandi's Quadrupedum omnium bisulcorum historia fol. 859–863, Cap. 30: De Tarando (1621). However, Aldrovandi – and before him Konrad Gesner^[42] – thought that rangifer and tarandus were two separate animals.^[43] In any case, the tarandos name goes back to Aristotle and Theophrastus – see above.

Local names[link]

The name rein (-deer) is of Norse origin (Old Norse hreinn, which again goes back to Proto-Germanic *hrainaz and Proto-Indo-European *kroinos meaning "horned animal"). In the Uralic languages, Sami poatsu (in Northern Sami boazu, in Lule Sami boatsoj, in Pite Sami båtsoj, in Southern Sami bovtse), Mari pučə and Udmurt pudžej, all referring to domesticated reindeer, go back to *počaw, an Iranian loanword deriving from Proto-Indo-European *peḱu-, meaning "cattle". The Finnish name poro may also stem from the same.^[44] The name caribou comes, through French, from Mi'kmaq qalipu, meaning "snow shoveler", referring to its habit of pawing through the snow for food.^[45] In Inuktitut, the caribou is known by the name tuktu.^[46][47] In Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi dialects the caribou is called atihkw.^{[citation needed]}

Reindeer in Christmas[link]

Two Scottish reindeer relax after pulling Santa's sleigh at the switching on of Christmas lights

Santa Claus's reindeer[link]

In the Santa Claus tale, Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer. These were first named in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", where they are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem.^[48] Dunder was later changed to Donder and—in other works—Donner (in German, "thunder"), and Blixem was later changed to Bliksem, then Blitzen (German for "lightning"). Some consider Rudolph as part of the group as well, though he was not part of the original named work referenced previously. Rudolph was added by Robert L. May in 1939 as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".^{[citation needed]}

According to the British comedy panel game QI, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all of Santa's other reindeer must be either female or castrated, because male reindeer lose their antlers during winter.

Heraldry and symbols[link]

The Caribou Monument at the World War I Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial

Several Norwegian municipalities have one or more reindeer depicted in their coats-of-arms: Eidfjord, Porsanger, Rendalen, Tromsø, Vadsø, and Vågå. The historic province of Västerbotten in Sweden has a reindeer in its coat of arms. The present Västerbotten County has very different borders and uses the reindeer combined with other symbols in its coat-of-arms. The city of Piteå also has a reindeer. The logo for Umeå University features three reindeer.^{[citation needed]}

The Canadian 25-cent coin, or "quarter" features a depiction of a caribou on one face. The caribou is the official provincial animal of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and appears on the coat of arms of Nunavut. A caribou statue was erected at the center of the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, marking the spot in France where hundreds of soldiers from Newfoundland were killed and wounded in the First World War and there is a replica in Bowring Park, in St. John's, Newfoundland's capital city.^{[citation needed]}

Two municipalities in Finland have reindeer motifs in their coats-of-arms: Kuusamo^[49] has a running reindeer and Inari^[50] a fish with reindeer antlers.

See also[link]

• Rangifer (journal)
• Rangifer (constellation)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rangifer tarandus

Wikispecies has information related to: Rangifer tarandus

Look up reindeer or caribou in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• The Reindeer Portal, Source of Information About Reindeer Husbandry Worldwide
• Rangifer.net has a map of subspecies ranges.
• 1935 Reindeer Herding in the Northwest Territories
• General information on Caribou and Reindeer
• Human Role in Reindeer/Caribou Systems
• Reindeer Studies in South Georgia and Norway
• Reindeer hunting as World Heritage – a ten thousand year-long tradition
• The Scandinavian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) after the last glacial maximum: time, seasonality and human exploitation
• Adaptations To Life In The Arctic – Instructional slide-show, University of Alaska
• Rangifer – world's only scientific journal dealing exclusively with husbandry, management and biology of Arctic and northern ungulates
• Texts on Wikisource:
  • "Reindeer". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Reindeer". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Caribou-specific links (North America)[link]

• Mammal Fact Sheets: Caribou
• Frequently Asked Questions about Caribou from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Caribou and You – Campaign by CPAWS to protect the Woodland caribou, a species at risk in Canada
• Newfoundland Five-Year Caribou Strategy Seeks to Address Declining Populations

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Bristol Palin
Bristol Palin at a book signing in Phoenix, Arizona in July 2011.
Born	Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin[1] (1990-10-18) October 18, 1990 (age 21)[2] Wasilla, Alaska, U.S.
Residence	Anchorage, Alaska
Alma mater	Juneau-Douglas High School West Anchorage High School Wasilla High School - (High school diploma, 2009)
Occupation	Spokesperson
Years active	2009–present
Partner	Levi Johnston (2005–2009, 2010)
Children	Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston (b. 2008)
Parents	Sarah Palin Todd Palin
Relatives	Track, Willow, Piper, Trig

Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin (born October 18, 1990) is the second child and oldest daughter of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd.

After Bristol Palin became a single mother at age 18, she began to publicly advocate teenage pregnancy prevention, and is now a paid speaker on the subject of teen pregnancy.

She competed in the fall 2010 season of Dancing with the Stars, where she received lower scores from the judges than some other contestants but was voted through week after week by fans.^[3] She reached the finals, finishing in third place.

Early life and education[link]

Palin was born and raised in Wasilla, Alaska.^[1][4] She was named "Bristol" after the Bristol Inn where her mother Sarah was employed; Bristol, Connecticut, the headquarters city of ESPN, where her mother Sarah hoped to work as a sportscaster; and the Bristol Bay area of Alaska, where her father Todd grew up.^[5][6]

Beginning in 2005, Bristol attended Juneau-Douglas High School and began dating Levi Johnston.^[7][8] In 2008, she briefly lived in Anchorage with her aunt and uncle and attended West Anchorage High School. She returned to Wasilla, where she graduated from Wasilla High School in May 2009.^[9][10]

Career[link]

Teen pregnancy prevention spokesperson[link]

In May 2009, at age 18, Palin started working with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to inform young people about the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy. The campaign's spokesman, said that working with Palin made sense, because "she's had the highest-profile teen pregnancy of the year."^[11] Several interviews and pictorials for similar organizations followed. Also in May 2009 Palin was named a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Ambassador for the Candie’s Foundation,^[12][13] a teen pregnancy prevention organization that is a division of the Candie's clothing brand.^[14] In April 2011 it was reported that Palin was paid more than $262,000^[15] by the foundation for her work in 2009. This level of compensation, which constituted 12 percent of the Candie's Foundation operating budget, was criticized by some commentators^[who?] as excessive.^[16][17] Her duties as a paid spokeswoman involved attending town hall meetings, public service announcements, and giving interviews on morning talk shows.

On Good Morning America, she stated, "Regardless of what I did personally, abstinence is the only 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy."^[18] In another interview on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts she stated that 'Pause Before You Play hits a wider range of message, it can mean pause and go get a condom, it can be pause and think about your life, or it could be pause and wait until marriage.'^[19] Before Palin became a spokeswoman, she told Fox News that abstinence is "not realistic at all", but that she would like it to become more accepted among people her age.^[20] Several weeks later, she stated that that quote had been "taken out of context."^[21] However, in a July 2011 interview with Drew Pinsky, she said she doesn’t want to "be named as an abstinence preacher…. I’m not out there saying don’t have sex. I hate that kind of stuff. Birth control needs to be used effectively each and every single time if you’re gonna be having sex.... I’m not advocating [abstinence] for everyone else."^[22]

Her role as a spokesperson has been controversial. Bonnie Fuller, former editor-in-chief of YM, has questioned whether the net effect of Palin's presentations has glamorized rather than discouraged teen pregnancy, noting that the "picture perfect" imagery of a People magazine spread seemed to make her "the poster girl for teen momhood."^[23] Meghan McCain stated her support for sex education and criticized Palin's sexual abstinence campaign, saying it was "not realistic for this generation."^[24] Former MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann declared Palin his "Worst Person in the World" for her advocacy,^[25] to which Palin replied "Accusing me of hypocrisy is by now, an old canard... Parents warn their children about the mistakes they made so they are not repeated. Former gang members travel to schools to educate teenagers about the risks of gang life. Recovered addicts lecture to others about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse. And yes, a teen mother talks about the benefits of preventing teen pregnancy."^[26]

Palin works on the speakers' circuit asking between $15,000 and $30,000 for each appearance. She has signed with Single Source Speakers and is listed on their website as available for conferences, fundraisers, special events and holidays, as well as women's, youth, abstinence and pro-life programs.^[27][28]

In January 2011 she was invited to speak at Sexual Responsibility Week at Washington University in St. Louis, but students protested the high fee she was to be paid out of student-generated funds and her appearance was cancelled.^[29][30]

Business venture[link]

In September 2009, Palin formed BSMP, a lobbying, public relations and political consulting services firm.^[31] While the initial focus will be working with Candie's Foundation, BSMP plans to work with additional clients.^[32]

Television[link]

[edit] The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Palin appeared in an episode of the ABC Family network series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, playing a friend of the fictional character Amy, a 15 year old who is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. She filmed the scenes in Los Angeles in March 2010; the episode aired on July 5, 2010.^{[33][34][35][36]} "I like doing speaking engagements and stuff like that," she told E!. "I don't think I'll be doing any more acting in the future."^[37]

[edit] Dancing with the Stars

Palin joined the Fall 2010 season of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), partnered with professional Mark Ballas, who is a two time champion on the show, having won with Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi in season 6, and with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson in season 8.^[38]

Her long run on the show despite her frequently lower scores from the judges, attracted media attention and speculation.^[39][40] Questions were raised about the integrity of the public voting process^[40] including allegations of fraudulent online voting using multiple e-mail addresses. Executives at ABC and the show's executive producer, Conrad Green, stated that "checks and balances" in the system, including IP address verification, prevent such voting practices, and that "[t]here's nothing in the voting that looks dissimilar to previous seasons."^[41][42] Nonetheless, Green speculated that Palin may have received votes for political reasons by backers of her mother in the Tea Party movement,^[43] and support from older viewers who had maternal feelings toward her due to her youth and lack of prior experience.^[44] Palin herself credited her success to the support of her fans who were tuning in each week to see her improvement.^[39]

Palin's success on the show attracted other negative attention, including death threats against her. In one instance, suspicious white powder was received by the show. The powder turned out to be harmless, but as a result, security on the show was tightened.^[45]

Palin and her partner finished in third place. Prior to the final show, Palin stated that winning "would be like a big middle finger out there to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me."^[46] Following the competition, she remarked that she was happy with her third place finish, that prayer and faith had helped her, and that she had grown as a person.^[3]

Due to her dancing rehearsal schedule, she said she forgot to mail in her absentee ballot for the November 2010 general election.^[47]

[edit] Sarah Palin's Alaska

Bristol made an appearance on the TLC travelogue/documentary Sarah Palin's Alaska, helping on a commercial halibut fishing boat.^[48] During the airing of the first episode, Bristol posted defensive comments on Facebook against posters who criticized the Palin family. Some of Bristol's comments included profanity,^[49] for which she later issued an apology.^[50]

[edit] Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp

Bristol Palin's docu-series "Life's A Tripp" will be premiering in the fall season of 2012 Lifetime in the US. Lifetime has ordered 10 episodes for original broadcast, which will follow Palin as she adjusts back to normal routine in Alaska.^[51]

Music video[link]

While still competing on DWTS, Palin appeared in a music video for an Alaskan symphony rock band, Static Cycle. The video was shot at the Ice Museum in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, with Palin dressed in a fur hat and coat and played a mother-nature-type role of melting the ice.^[52][53]

Memoir[link]

In June 2011, Palin released a memoir, co-written with Nancy French, entitled Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far, in which she candidly discusses aspects of her personal life, including tensions with the McCain family and losing her virginity. The book has received mixed reviews from critics and readers alike, many of them criticizing her for releasing a memoir at only 20 years old.^[54][55] The book appeared briefly on the New York Times bestseller lists in July 2011.^[56]

Personal life[link]

2008 Republican National Convention and pregnancy announcement[link]

When Sarah Palin was chosen as John McCain's vice presidential running mate in late August 2008, his advisers already knew of Bristol's pregnancy, which they believed would be a political liability.^[2] On September 1, the opening day of the 2008 Republican National Convention, it was publicly announced that Palin was pregnant and engaged to Johnston, the father of her unborn child.^[7] Palin's entire family, along with Johnston, appeared at the convention.^[7][57] McCain's advisers reportedly thought a wedding between Johnston and Palin would boost the waning popularity of the McCain-Palin ticket.^[2] Johnston denied claims that he was being pressured into a shotgun wedding, stating, "We were planning on getting married a long time ago with or without the kid. That was the plan from the start."^[7]

Motherhood[link]

Palin and Johnston's son, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, was born in 2008.^[58][59] She denied claims that her mother's pro life views influenced her decision to give birth to and raise her son Tripp: "It doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision."^[60][61]

Palin and Johnston broke off their engagement in March 2009.^[62] In November 2009, a custody and child support case was filed in a local Alaska court. Palin asked the court to use pseudonyms for herself and Johnston to keep the normally public proceedings private, arguing that the media attention would not be good for the child.^[63] Johnston argued for open proceedings, saying he wanted the case to be decided on the merits,^[63] and that he did "not feel protected against Sarah Palin in a closed proceeding."^[64] In December 2009, on Tripp's first birthday, the judge ruled in favor of Johnston, and it was publicly announced that the pair had been battling for legal custody. Palin, who wished to win full custody rights and child support consistent with Johnston's income, stated that Johnston had "exercised sporadic visitation rights" and "wants the rights for his own self-promotion".^[63][64][65] Johnston sought shared custody and lower child support payments. In February 2010 a judge ruled that Johnston had to pay back child support, with a hearing set to determine the amount of ongoing support payments.^[66][67]

That month, Palin and her son began living in a condo she had purchased in Anchorage, where she was working at a dermatologist's office and taking business courses at a community college.^[68][69] In July 2010, Palin and Johnston announced that they had reunited and were again engaged,^[70][71] but less than three weeks later, they ended their second engagement.^{[72][73][74][75][76]} In August 2010 she moved out of the condo and returned to her parents' home,^[77] and the couple reached an agreement giving primary custody to Palin and visitation rights and child support responsibility to Johnston.^[78] In December 2010, Palin purchased a five-bedroom house in Maricopa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, for $172,000 in cash, according to Pinal County property records.^[79]