Tuvan reindeer herders have given ten Todzha reindeer to "Abakanskiy" Zoo - a unique sub-species of the northerners. several days ago, 10 animals from the farm of the local reindeer-herding community "Aldyn-Ivi" (Golden Reindeer" were delivered to the Khakass capital and settled into its enclosures. In the words of the head of the community Svetlana Sambu-Demkina, beside the Abakan zoo, the administration of natural park "Ergaki" in Krasnoyarsk Krai, which specializes in tourist services, also expressed a similar wish to obtain several of these animals.
Northern reindeer, which live in Tuva, are considered exotic among their species, according to specialists of Ministry of agriculture and animal husbandry of RT. They are in particular, much larger than their con-specifics of Russian Far North, for example Evenkia, as well as other regions of the world where these animals live. This unique sub-species has been preserved only on the southern slopes of Sayan mountains, on the border of Tuvan Todzha and Tofalaria. Mentions of Tuvan reindeer are present, according to historians' data, in many of accounts of well-known travelers, beginning in 1255; among them are William Rubruck, Richard Eden, Marco Polo, and Douglas Carruthers.
Already in the early 1980's, in the reindeer-herding farms of Tuva, then sovkhoz, there was about 45 thousand animals. However with the change to market conditions they were liquidated, the herd was given over to private ownership, and with time decreased to only a few hundred reindeer.
Today, with support of the government of the republic, the authorities are trying to preserve and revive one of the chief traditional occupations of Tuvans-Todzhans, who are recognized as a minority people.
Thee reindeer herding farms are helped, most of all, by subsidies from the budget for the breeding female reindeer population to stimulate its increase. Lately the herders themselves have started showing economic activity, uniting small farms into communities for more efficient work. Such communities have established 15 private farms. "Aldyn-Ivi", for example, has 30 working people, who have a reindeer herd of 215 heads. Already in May it should increase by one third - they are expecting young from 70 reindeer females.
