Authorities in northern Russia are seeking millions of dollars in damages from neighboring Norway after a herd of reindeer crossed over the border and damaged a protected nature reserve last winter, The Barents Observer reported.
Natalya Polikarpova, director of the Murmansk region’s Pasvik nature reserve, said the animals ate away moss and shrubs and trampled ground vegetation between December 2022 and January 2023, leading to soil erosion and plant life degradation.
The nature reserve, which was established in 1992, stretches for 44 kilometers along the border of Russia and Norway. It provides a habitat for over 3,000 species, including five endangered species on the IUCN Red List.
Polikarpova says the damage caused by the reindeer amounts to 47 million Norwegian kroner ($4.6 million).
“A detailed calculation was presented to the Norwegian side with the given formula and documents on the basis of which the calculations were made,” Polikarpova told local media last month.
