Reindeer
Exactly hunt on reindeer has at one time allowed the prehistoric humans to occupy the wooded tundra and tundra zone in Russia and penetrate through "Bering Bridge" to America. Indigenous peoples of Yakutia still traditionally concern with the reindeer breeding.
The cold is a stern test for herbivorous animals as they need daily nourishment. That’s why Yakutia is a habitat only for those animals that can forage for aliment in such severe climate conditions and that are moderate water consumers. Reindeers can be reckoned among this kind of animals. In winter time it can forage for its favourite lichen reindeer moss from under the snow at ease. Reindeer as contrasted with graceful European red deer is indeed a cobby tundra child. It is a stocky, unsightly creature with short legs, oblong trunk and almost always lowered head. The reindeer easily holds on to the snow owing to uncommonly large (almost twice as large) hoofs as compared to the other deer. Notably the hoofs while running expand even more, which makes the reindeer equilibrium far better stable.
For people of the North the reindeer is a vehicle, a source of valuable skins for winter clothes, shoes and nomadic dwelling cover and yet more it is a high quality delicate delicious dietary meat that can be easily boiled soft and is considered to have high level of absorbency. So reindeer breeding in whole is a beneficial economic sector for Yakutia as it doesn’t require substantial withdrawal of manpower for maintenance, laying-in of fodder and building of costly hard-wall premises.
(Courtesy of Bichik Publishing. Yakutia Amazing and Mysterious)
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