I'm not sure it is fair to describe them as an invasive species. According to a piece in the Guardian:
Reindeer were reintroduced to Scotland in 1952 by a Swede called Mikel Utsi, and they have done well since. Reindeer lived in the Highlands up until around 8,000 years ago when, because of climate change or hunting pressure, they became extinct. Utsi recognised that the Cairngorms were similar to his native Lapland and his initial herd of 29 reindeer prospered in the alpine climate.
It may seem a rather far-fetched idea to re-introduce reindeer but the species is native to the UK, as Mr Utsi found that “according to the Orkneyinga saga, red deer and reindeer were hunted together in Caithness by the Earls of Orkney about eight centuries ago.”
Although the last record of wild British reindeer is from around 800 years ago and there has been much climate change since this, the unique sub-arctic qualities of the Cairngorms provide a perfect home for reindeer - in fact this is the only place left in the UK able to support such an animal.
“The great advantage in keeping reindeer is that they find their own basic food, even under snow, and require no shelter."
They are captive but they do have a very large area of land over which they can roam,you can do a tour out over the range with the keepers to see them close up!In fact they also use the Reindeer on the run up to Christmas to tour round the country to visit shopping centres and garden centres as an added attraction for kids visiting Santa!So I think that last comment ends the discussion as to if they are feral!
It is definately not fair to call them invasive species, as nowhere is stated that they do great damage. They may be regarded as exotic species (depending on your definitions), but using the term invasive is just wrong.
It is definately not fair to call them invasive species, as nowhere is stated that they do great damage. They may be regarded as exotic species (depending on your definitions), but using the term invasive is just wrong.
They aren't wild, they aren't feral, they aren't invasive.
Cairngorms Reindeer are domesticated, and have always been a managed herd since their experimental introducton to the Highlands as ZG points out above. This area was chosen because the high altitude means the presence of reindeer moss on which they feed, it does not exist elsewhere in Scotland(afaik). Their state of 'wildness' is probably rather less than that of managed herds of wild ponies- or even sheep.
