Rudolph the red-nosed COVID carrier and the children being put at risk
Every year, as Christmas approaches, the UK plays host to a bevvy of live reindeer events from garden centre car parks to pubs, town centre parades, Santa’s grottos and more. What better way to spread festive cheer than to use some non-native animals who do not adapt easily to the climate here as mere props around Santa? Yes, it is as depressing a sight as you’re imagining. Rehana Jomeen, Festive Events Campaigner at Freedom for Animals, writes.
Reindeer are highly sensitive, unique, semi-wild animals who are adapted to the extreme climates of northern latitudes. They are not Christmas props, wheeled out once a year for our entertainment. They are living, breathing, feeling individuals who deserve to be treated with respect.
How has Covid-19 played a part?
One silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the cancellation of the majority of these live reindeer festive events across the UK. The banning of large gatherings effectively resulted in no parades or any other such activity which encourages people to congregate en-masse. Gathering around reindeer pens should have been completely off-limits this year and yet, some reindeer suppliers managed to wiggle their way around the guidelines and started visiting a number of primary schools instead.
Why should we care?
The dangers of zoonotic diseases are not spoken about nearly enough. The reason this pandemic started in the first place is because of our use of, and relationship with, animals. It simply isn’t common knowledge that many species of animals, reindeer used in festive events included, are at high risk of becoming an intermediate host species for the virus that causes Covid-19.
From an animal rights perspective, this is disturbing regardless of possible diseases, but the issue of how the exploitation of non-human animals affects public health should be a much higher priority, especially in the midst of a pandemic.
What does the science say?
A study published by the University of California earlier this year analysed hundreds of animal species to identify which ones may be susceptible to becoming hosts for the coronavirus. Twenty-eight species, including reindeer, were classified as high-risk. Thankfully, many reindeer suppliers have experienced up to a 95% drop in bookings this year. But that begs the question – how are reindeer suppliers making ends meet? Are they following UK guidelines while still prioritising public health?
In the current climate, it is vital we do all we can to protect and prevent further transmission of the virus. Considering that a number of reindeer suppliers have been taking these animals into primary schools and exposing vulnerable young children to a species who are at high risk of being able to carry coronavirus, I have to ask the question: is it really worth taking the chance?
There is also the risk of transmitting other zoonotic diseases to school children, such as E-coli. These school visits inevitably result in a lot of time and travel on the road for these animals too, carted about for little more than a Christmas thrill. The justification that these visits are educational is very thin, given that children can learn nothing of the reindeer’s natural behaviour when they’re penned up in a school car park. At best they can provide a talking point for further study and interest in the natural world, but so too could watching a documentary combined with the ability of a good teacher to engage their pupils.
Children are being told to keep their distance from their friends and family, so why are reindeer considered outside of this?
What does this all mean?
These many examples of reindeer school visits illustrate the serious lack of knowledge, compassion, sensitivity and awareness about the welfare of these unique animals. Zoonotic diseases are not going anywhere while we continue to believe that our use of animals is safe, justified and necessary.
In November, Denmark culled all the mink in its fur farms – that’s up to seventeen million animals – all to stop the spread of coronavirus. Now bird flu is making a resurgence in the UK and even though the strains being detected do not transmit readily from human-to-human, flu viruses, in particular, have a greater potential to mutate at any time. An order made by DEFRA for the first time in four years has resulted in thousands of birds being culled in Great Britain.
The reoccurring patterns we continue to see about the devastating impact of human use of animals is no coincidence. This will keep happening time and time again until something changes. This is the first pandemic, but not the last. Our use of animals got us here, but have we learned anything?
Only time will tell. For as long as we continue to use animals as we do, zoonotic diseases will be a serious threat to public health everywhere.
Visit the Freedom for Animals reindeer campaign website:
Freedomforanimals.org.uk/covid-christmas-wont-save-rudolph
Donate to Freedom for Animals:
Rehana Jomeen is Festive Events Campaigner at Freedom For Animals and an intersectional climate justice, animal and feminist activist. As a vegan mother, she is committed to working towards a better world for her daughter and future generations. She is a strong advocate of slow fashion and low waste living on both her YouTube channel and Instagram account.
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