Wildlife

Lapland swarms with wildlife, even though visitors are likely to only spot species that are more or less used to humans: reindeer, working dogs and some birds. For instance, bears, wolves, wolverine, fox, lynx and elk live in Lapland, but each species has specific regions where it thrives.

Plants in Lapland are not as numerous as they are on the south side of the Arctic Circle. Trees and plants are smaller than in the south. In southern Lapland, forests are lush, but the further north you go, the lower the trees grow. On the shores of the Barents Sea, the vegetation is very scarce. Yet, there is something for everyone. For instance, there is a great variety of lichen (that can be more than hundred years old) and moss grows all over Lapland.

For occasional visitors, wild animals, especially, predators are practically impossible to spot because they avoid people. If you want to ensure that you see these animals you have two options: join a night safari arranged by a professional organizer, or visit a zoo where even the largest species have room to move. Ranua Zoo in Finland and Polar Park in Bardu, Norway are good destinations for this.

Reindeer

Reindeer are such a common sight in all of Lapland that all visitors can be given a guarantee they will spot reindeers during their trip. Lapland reindeer are semi-wild animals that roam in forests and on the slopes of fells as they wish year round. These animals are constantly on the move: looking for food, avoiding mosquitoes and predators, or trying to adjust to weather.

In September-October herders organize an annual round-up of all reindeers in their own region. Animals born since spring are marked (if they already haven't been marked), select males are castrated, animals are selected to be slaughtered, all animals are treated for possible parasites, and they are tallied. Every reindeer has a mark in its ear that specifies its owner. Every single animal belongs to someone and is part of a family's livelihood. 

The reindeer is a domesticated deer (origins are species Rangifer tarandus and R. tarandus tarandus). Both males and females have antlers that annually re-grow after animals have dropped the old ones.

Females weigh 60-100 kg/132-220 pounds and males 90-180 kg /198-397 pounds. They are 90-120 cm/ 35-47 inches tall and 150-210 cm/59-83 inches long from tail to nose. The hair in a reindeer's fur includes layers of air that insulate the animal from cold and warm weather. Reindeer can live in -50 Celsius /-58 Fahrenheit freezing cold as well as in +40 Celsius /104 Fahrenheit heat.

Their usual diet consists of hay, lichen, mushrooms and sprig. In winter, snow cover can be so thick that animals can't dig through the snow to the ground, but they eat lichen that grows on trees. In winter, reindeer herders may feed supplemental food to their animals. Modern herders locate the animals via a GPS transmitter attached to a lead reindeer, and deliver food to their animals on snowmobiles.

In order to keep reindeer's impact on the nature sustainable, the number of animals in Lapland is restricted.

Before snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, or roads arrived in Lapland, reindeer were also an important means of transportation. Today, only Santa Claus and tourists ride on sledges pulled by reindeer. Reindeer fur is a traditional material for warm clothing for Sami people. Also, bones and antlers have always been valuable material for household objects and handicrafts.

Reindeer are somewhat used to people, but are still cautious and tend to keep a safety zone. Only the animals that  have chosen city life, and hang around resorts and homes let people close and accept handfed goodies.

More information about reindeer from the herders' association paliskunnat.fi/reindeer.

Aakenus fell near Ylläs.

Stora Sjöfallet. Photo by Carl-Johan Utsi.

Mosquitoes

If conditions during spring have been favorable, mosquitoes and other insects swarm in Lapland in the summer. The insect season begins in mid-June and lasts until August. Reindeer escape insects by going up to fells where trees don't grow and winds blow freely. Alternatively, roads can be used to ease mosquito attacks as well. Humans can escape insects by wearing protective clothing and applying repellent.

There is annual variation in the number of insects, but the most important factor between an insect-free and insect-dominated place is the natural surroundings. A wet place with lush vegetation is perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, whereas fell landscape with few trees and scarce vegetation isn't. For instance, a swamp maybe swarming with insects, but a hill a few  hundred meters / yards away can be practically insect free.

There are no poisonous species of insects in Lapland, but they may cause allergic reactions. Even without allergies, bites can be itchy, and a large number of bites may cause swelling.

Lake and river fish

Stories of salmon and trout catches in Lapland are legendary, but thanks to clear cool waters in the region's rivers, new legends are caught every summer. Salmon and trout are the most sought after fish among fishermen, but there are many other species in Lapland's rivers and lakes. Perch (except for the northernmost Lapland), northern pike, burbot, and whitefish are common species in the north.

Sea life

Norway’s long coastline with the Atlantic Ocean in the west and Barents Sea in the north provides many opportunities for fishing and studying sea life. The biggest sea creatures that can be spotted along Norway's northern coasts are whales and dolphins.

Vesterålen/Lofoten or Senja archipelago is a popular starting point for sea safaris. The fishing villages of Stö and Andenes, or the town of Tromsö have many sea tour operators. Species that swim in these waters include humpback whales, fin whales, sperm whales, piked whales, pilot whales, killer whales, dolphins and seals. Winter is the best time to see whales with some companies giving a 100% whale-spotting guarantee on their tours.

King crab is a huge crab species that has gradually extended its living territory from Russian waters to  Norway's northern seas. It can be found on Norway's western coast, but it primarily lives in the seas east of Nordkapp.

Cold and warm ocean currents meet off the coast in northern Norway, bringing many fish species to the region after food. Common fish species are coastal cod, spawning cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, Atlantic wolffish, coalfish (saithe), and redfish.

Bear

Bears (ursus arctos) are the biggest predator of the north. A male bear can weigh up to 300 kg /661 pounds, although bigger individuals have been measured in Lapland. Bears hibernate during winter.

Bears eat mammals, fish, birds, berries, and crops – practically anything that's edible, even carcasses. Even the biggest mammal of the north, elk, is a normal catch for a bear. Bears like to move during twilight and at night.

The midnight sun is the perfect time to see bears in their natural habitat in the north. Professional bear watching tour organizers take tourists safely to places where bears feed. A population of bears lives in the wilderness near Kuusamo on both sides of the border between Finland and Russia.

Bears are a protected species, but individuals that keep feeding on reindeer are allowed to be eliminated with a special permit.

A bear with her cubs in Kuusamo. Photo by Karhu-Kuusamo Oy (karhukuusamo.com).

Wolf

Wolves (canis lupus) are the most efficient predators of the north. The species has evolved to make use of the power of a coordinated pack when hunting. Wolves maybe the forefather of a dog – and if you study the heads of Huskies or Lapphunds, resemblance to wolves is undeniable. Grey wolves in Scandinavia can grow up to 65 kg /143 pounds in weight.

Wolves are carnivores that hunt anything from the smallest to largest animals: moles, lemmings, hares, bords, deers, reindeer and elk.

Wolvesare protected, but individuals or packs that keep feeding on reindeer can be eliminated with a special permit.

Wolverine

Wolverines (gulo gulo) live only in Lapland. They need a large territory without residential activity. A wolverine can weigh up to 28 kg/62 pounds, and it is typically 70-80 cm/27-31 inches long.

The wolverine primarily hunts deer and reindeer. It kills its catch by cutting the neck, and sometimes detaches the head. It is possible to see reindeer skulls on trees that have been dragged there by a wolverine trying to hide its catch.

Wolverines are a rare and protected species, but with special permit an individual wolverine that keeps feeding on reindeer can be eliminated.

Lynx

Lynxes moves like all big cats, gracefully, and constantly alert. In addition to the southern parts of Scandinavia, the species lives in Lapland where it hunts deer, reindeer, hare, and lemming. An individual can weigh up to 30 kg /66 pounds and grow up to 120 cm/3.9 feet in length. It can climb to a tree if threatened.

Lynxes are a protected species, but with special permit individuals that keep feeding on reindeer can be eliminated.

Arctic fox

Slightly smaller than an ordinary fox, the arctic fox only lives in regions north of the Arctic Circle. It exists in Lapland, but it is a rare species. Its fur is white in winter, and in summer the fur is grayish brown or blue. The Arctic fox has been bred into a fox that is commercially exploited in fur production.

Elk

A full-grown elk (alces alces) is a huge animal: up to 600 kg/1323 pounds in weight and 210 cm/6.9 feet tall. Males grow large antlers.

Elk live in forests across Scandinavia, including Lapland. The animal is actually so common in some regions that it is hunted not only for its delicious meat, but to protect newly planted trees, crops and traffic on the main roads. Yet, spotting an elk in the wild is very difficult. My encounters with elks have always happened when I have been mountainbiking, and I have been cruising so quietly on a path that even  the elk haven't heard me until I was only a few yards away. Startled, the elk quickly disappeared into the forest. Along with the first snow in October and November, elk hunting season brings hunters to many remote regions in Scandinavia.

An elk photographed by Michael Johansson in Sweden.

Birds

Many birds that nest in Lapland in the spring are migratory species that return south before the winter. Sandpipers, cranes, ruff, bean geese, water ouzels, ducks, greenshanks, dotterels, Siberian jays, golden plovers and meadow pipits are species that can be spotted on fells, in swamps and other waters in the summer. Especially during migration, birdwatching is fairly easy because dedicated platforms have been built on the best viewing spots across Finnish Lapland. More than 50 locations are listed on the Lapland Ornithology Assocation's web page at www.lly.fi/lintupaikat.php.

Some bird species that have evolved to survive the cold inland winters are the snow owl, woodpecker, white grouse, and crow. Some birds, like grouse, change colors according to the season. In winter, a grouse is white like snow and in summer, it is brown.

Seabirds that live on Norway's coastal areas and nearby islands include puffins, northern gannets, cormorants, kittiwakes, common guillemots and northern fulmars. Bird colonies where even million individuals may nest are located on Lovund Island, in Ekkeröya at Varanger fjord and on Gjesvärstappan Island west of Nordkapp. The majestic white-tailed eagle can be spotted in many places along the coasts of northern Norway. Inland species in Norway's Lapland include wading birds, great crested grebes, loons, capercaillies and whooper swans.

Dog breeds of Lapland

For centuries, Sami people have had dogs that helped them hunt, guard their homes and herd their reindeer. Many types of dogs accompanied people in Lapland until herding became the favored feature for  these working dogs. The following three breeds are active dogs who have strong guarding and herding instincts. They are social, like people and are ideal companions for active outdoor people.

Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) has been among the most popular breeds in Finland for years, and gradually has found loving homes in Continental Europe and North America as well. Lapphund is a medium-size dog with males approximately 49 cm/19 inches tall, and weigh about 20 kg/44 pounds. The Lapphund has long, thick, silky hair.

Finnish Lapphund puppies (seven weeks old).

Lapponian Herder (Lapinporokoira) is a medium-size dog originally used for herding reindeer. It has short hair, but can still stand the cold winters of Lapland. The optimal size for a male has been specified as 51 cm/20 inches and 46 cm/18 inches tall for females.

Swedish Lapphund (Svensk lapphund) is very much like its Finnish cousin with male dogs about 45-51 cn /18-20 inches tall and females 40-46 cm /16-18 inches. In contrast to the Finnish Lapphund (that can be of any color), Swedish Lapphund is always black. It can have white marks on its chest.

Dogs that are always keen to pull a sledge are a native breed of Siberia, Russia. As dogsledding has become a popular hobby and tourist attraction in Lapland, kennels that breed Siberian Huskies are now numerous in Nordic countries.

Vegetation

Trees

South of the Arctic Circle trees grow tall, and forests are lush. Further north and high on fells trees grow low as well as vegetation in general.

Trees define an important natural border in Lapland: the treeline. Trees don't grow above a certain height on fells, and in the northernmost coastline that faces the Arctic Ocean. The height of the treeline depends on its location. An inland fell in harsh winter climate has a lower treeline than a west coast mountain.

The treeline is important for tourists and local wildlife alike. Hikers and skiers can enjoy beautiful views above the treeline where the visibility can be tens of kilometers/miles, or they can seek shelter from the wind below the treeline. Reindeer may escape mosquitoes and enjoy refreshing breezes above the treeline in summer.

Only a few types of trees survive Lapland's cold winters. Scots pine, Norway spruce and downy birch are the most common trees. Small juniper grows in Lapland as well. Aspen, alder and rowan may grow in patches.

Lush, albeit low, forest abrubtly ends as the fell rises high enough in Abisko.

Other plants

The treeline, marshlands and forests define the type of vegetation in Lapland. Above the treeline, in tundra, the conditions are so harsh that only a few plants survive. Below the treeline forests and bushes support a reasonably rich flora.

A wide variety of lichen covers rocks and some plants in Lapland. Lichen can grow for a hundred years, but reindeer still enjoy it as a primary nourishment. Also a great variety of moss covers the ground, rocks and fallen trees in many places.

Cotton grass, sedge marshes, northern willow, liverworts, bilberry, mat grass and buttercup are common plants. Berries, like crowberries, cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries thrive in the vast wilderness.

The most valuable berry in Lapland is the cloudberry (rubus chamaemorus). It is also called golden berry because of its color and economic value. Cloudberries only grow in marshlands. In fact, that’s the reason there is plenty of them in Lapland (and in Scandinavia), but collecting berries in marshlands is very troublesome and time consuming work. In August, when the berries are ready to be picked, many swamps are difficult to access. Even if you know an accessible place where berries grow, you have to pick them by hand, one by one.

Cloudberry photo by kahvikisu.

Anyone is allowed to pick berries in Lapland (and in whole Scandinavia) according to the Everyman’s Right code. You are not allowed to harm sensitive plants or animals, or hang out near houses or yards, but in the wilderness you may collect berries.