The macabre life of Russia's Arctic reindeer herders

Killing thousands of reindeer each year is controversial, but it's part of a herder's job

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A herd of reindeer on Nov. 28, 2016.
Herders select and sort reindeer inside an enclosure on Nov. 29, 2016.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin)But such a dense population can threaten the fragile landscape of Siberia's northern Yamal region and cause more frequent epidemics within the local nomadic communit)

A tent belonging to reindeer herders in the tundra, Nov. 27, 2016.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

Herders select and sort reindeer.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

Herders select and sort reindeer.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

Severed reindeer antlers.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

Farm employees process reindeer skin.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

(Image credit: REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin)

Severed reindeer antlers.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin))

Jackie Friedman
Jackie Friedman

Jackie Friedman is the assistant photo editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the photojournalism program at Kent State University and now lives in New York.