Published August 19, 2022
Police in eastern Iceland are investigating a possible reindeer poaching incident, reports RÚV.
Illegal reindeer hunting is suspected in Jokuldarsheij in the last month. East Iceland Police Chief Kristján Ólafur Guðnason said police received information about a man believed to be hunting reindeer without a permit three weeks ago.
An investigation is ongoing and CCTV camera footage and other evidence has been collected.
Three men have already been questioned. At this time, we are unable to release any further information regarding the ongoing investigation.
Interestingly, reindeer are not native to Iceland. It was imported from Norway in the 1700s and has been hunted for sport ever since. The Icelandic government maintains very strict regulations on when and how many reindeer can be hunted in order to maintain the reindeer population, making poaching a serious crime.
