European Journal of Wildlife Research

, Volume 58, Issue 3, pp 589–596 | Cite as

Induced orphaning reveals post-weaning maternal care in reindeer

  • Øystein Holand
  • Robert B. Weladji
  • Atle Mysterud
  • Knut Røed
  • Eigil Reimers
  • Mauri Nieminen
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

A common by-product of human harvesting is orphaning of calves in autumn. Despite this, there are few studies in northern and temperate ungulates evaluating the fate of orphaned calves and the potential benefits to offspring and costs to mothers of post-weaning maternal care. We manipulated orphaning and forage distribution during winter for two herds of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): one nonfed and the other supplementally fed to increase level of interference competition. Both herds consisted of females with and without calves at heel and orphaned calves. We measured survival and somatic losses during winter and distances between mother–calves and adult females–orphans within the herds. All females survived the winter, and there was no evidence of post-weaning maternal cost in terms of female’s mass loss. The winter mortality among calves was negligible and did not differ between orphans as compared to nonorphans. However, nonorphaned calves lost less mass and stayed closer to their mothers than orphans to adult females, suggesting that increased mortality might occur in harsher winters. This tended to be more marked in the fed group where interference competition was more likely due to feed being concentrated both in space and time. Reduced mass loss in nonorphans is therefore most likely due to mothers sharing and defending feeding resources and protecting their offspring from harassment by other herd members during their first winter. We conclude that hunting practise of northern and temperate ungulates where females having calf/calves at heel are intentionally or non-intentionally harvested, may have demographic side effects at least in harsh winters.

Keywords

Feeding regime Management induced orphaning Post-weaning maternal care Post-weaning maternal cost Reindeer Rangifer tarandus 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank the Finnish Reindeer Herders’ Association and especially Mika Tervonen and his crew at the Kutuharju Experimental Reindeer Station for carrying out the experiment, and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, at the Reindeer Research Station in Kaamanen, for logistic support. The study complied with the Finnish National Advisory Board on Research Ethics requirements.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Øystein Holand
    • 1
  • Robert B. Weladji
    • 2
  • Atle Mysterud
    • 3
  • Knut Røed
    • 4
  • Eigil Reimers
    • 5
  • Mauri Nieminen
    • 6
  1. 1.Department of Animal and Aquacultural SciencesNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
  2. 2.Department of BiologyConcordia UniversityMontrealCanada
  3. 3.Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of BiologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
  4. 4.Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic BiologyNorwegian School of Veterinary MedicineOsloNorway
  5. 5.Department of BiologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
  6. 6.Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Reindeer Research StationKaamanenFinland

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