Breathtaking moment 3,200 wild reindeer trek nearly 100 miles across the icy Canadian wilderness on their annual migration
Thousands of reindeer have begun their journey to the north of Canada as their annual spring migration looms, the Daily Mail reports.
More than 3,200 wild reindeer, Scandanavian reindeer and wild caribou have started to make their way from Jimmy Lake, near Inuvik, in Canada, to calving grounds near Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, some 100 miles away.
The herd has been pictured on the move, creating a 'unique' spectacle as the animals move together across the snowy and icy landscape.
Geoffrey Reynaud spent more than eight months preparing for the excursion. The self-taught photographer exchanged four days work for the use of a snow mobile and was accompanied by a reindeer herder for the 'once in a lifetime' experience.
A drone was used to capture the impressive scale of the herd as thousands of the animals marched on.
Mr Reynaud, originally from France but now living in Vancouver, Canada, who spent eight days following the herd, said: 'I would estimate there were more than 3,200 animals.
“I love reindeer - my love for the Arctic and my previous experience there made me want to capture this.
“During this migration which happens in spring, some reindeer won't make it - some just don't
want to move with the others, and some can be pregnant making the journey more difficult.
“I've seen a reindeer collapsing and every time she tried to get up, she couldn't make it. She was so out of energy she was unable to dig under the snow to eat some lichens or other vegetation.
“I was digging far away from her to not disturb her with the herder to find some lichens we could bring to her as she wasn't able to feed herself.
“We left to continue tracking the land and eight hours later on our way back, we came back to see how she was doing but she didn't make it.
“The others who do make it will succeed in having their calves, and will create smaller herds as they cannot keep up with the larger herd's speed.
