Alaska island's 29 reindeer multiplied, then ate themselves to extinction
The reindeer population on St. Matthew Island experienced a rapid boom after being introduced in 1944, eventually leading to overpopulation and starvation. The herd ultimately went extinct after exhausting the island's limited food resources.
Why it matters
This case serves as a classic ecological study on the dangers of unchecked population growth in isolated environments with limited resources.
What happened to the reindeer on St. Matthew Island is a classic story of wildlife boom and bust. In 1944, the US Coast Guard corralled 29 Nunivak Island reindeer on a barge and floated the animals north to the island, more than 200 miles away to one of the most remote places in Alaska. While they initially grew into a population across the land, today the island is devoid of any reindeer, according to a report by AS.A food sourceThe Coast Guard had earlier in the year placed a radio navigation system on the island, along with 19 men. St. Matthew Island is a narrow strip of tundra in the Bering Sea, more than 200 miles from the nearest village. The reindeer were intended as a roaming food source should the men be cut off from supply shipments.
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