Finland's reindeer antlers sprayed with glow-in-the-dark paint to prevent car crashes

Finnish reindeer herders have found a new way of keeping their livestock from being hit by cars - they cover their horns in fluorescent dye.

The herders are trying out different types of reflective paints in the hope of finding a shade which can resist the harsh climate.

It is the the latest attempt to stop thousands of road deaths involving reindeer in Lapland, in northern Finland.

Anne Ollila of the Finnish Reindeer Herder's Association says the antlers of 20 reindeer have been painted with various fluorescent dyes to see how the animals react and whether the paints are resistant to the harsh Arctic climate.

If successful, animals with glittering antlers will be free to roam Lapland — a vast, deserted area in northern Finland where herders tend to some 200,000 reindeer.

Ollila says reflectors and reflective tape have proven unsuccessful as reindeer have torn them off — and road signs warning drivers of roaming reindeer often are stolen by tourists as souvenirs.

Domesticated reindeer has been kept as livestock in northern Scandinavia and Russia for thousands of years, believed to have started in the late Bronze ages as wild reindeer was captured.

In Finland, Sweden and Norway, the indigenous Saami people make up a majority of reindeer herders in the northern parts of Scandinavia.

The animals are bred for their meat, which is very popular in Sweden and Finland, as well as their fur and milk.

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