Captive reindeer

Following the release of our undercover exposé, 10 organisations have taken the compassionate decision to cancel the appearance of live reindeer. We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has spoken out on behalf of these gentle animals, and saved them the stress and suffering of being used in crowded events.

Quite rightly, some of you have raised concerns about what would happen to captive reindeer if the centres that keep them closed down. Clearly this is of great concern to us too, and we would be devastated if any of these animals faced an uncertain future. While we aren’t aware that any reindeer centres are set to close in the near future, we are doing everything we can to make sure that the reindeer will be safe, should this happen. We are calling for them to be moved to a sanctuary in a suitable climate that would allow them to live out their lives in peace, and cater for their needs as well as possible. We are reaching out to sanctuaries to discuss the situation with them, with a view to arranging homes for the reindeer should any centre close down.

In the longer term, we would like to see a ban on the import of reindeer to the UK, since most parts of the country are an unsuitable habitat for them. This is something that we will continue to call for, as well as working to raise awareness of the suffering caused by live reindeer events.

Thank you for all your support in helping reindeer and other animals.