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Reindeer Games in the Russian Arctic

Dec 21, 2017 | 8:00 AM

Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

reindeer games

Then One Foggy Christmas Spring Eve…

At the end of February each year, reindeer give it their all as they drag their herders across the ice and snow in frigid Nadym, Russia, on Reindeer Herders’ Day!

reindeer games

Indigenous nomads from across the country meet in the Arctic to celebrate their lifestyle—some even traveling hundreds of miles across the frozen tundra to attend the competition! Reindeer games include wrestling, high jumps, and of course, reindeer racing.

reindeer games participants

Reindeer Fun Facts

  • Some species of reindeer have knees that make a clicking sound when they walk, helping them locate one another and stay together in a blizzard!
  • Both male and female reindeer grow antlers!
  • Their noses may not glow red, but they are designed to warm the air they intake before it reaches their lungs.
  • Reindeer hooves change size in the summer and winter!
  • Some species migrate over 3,000 miles a year—more than any other land animal!

reindeer

Sensing You Want More?

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Spark your senses here, on the blog, weekly for a feature from the 2018 annual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses! and follow us on social media for a chance to win a copy, among other unbelievable prizes!

Source: Reindeer Games in the Russian Arctic