Herd of Reindeer Dance in ‘Cyclonic’ Circles to Keep Hunters at Bay, Video Leaves Internet Mesmerized


Video grab of Reindeer cyclone.
(Credit: Twitter/ @Lev Fedoseyev)
A herd of reindeer moving in circles to protect their does and fawns from predators in Russia is sure to leave you in a trance-like state.
In one of the most ‘hypnotic’ viral videos, a herd of reindeer moving in circles to protect their does and fawns from predators is sure to leave you in a trance-like state. The video shows multiple reindeer moving in a tight circle producing a ‘cyclonic’ effect as their defence strategy. The video was shared by a Twitter user Science girl who said, “Reindeer Cyclones are a real thing… a swirling mass of threatened reindeer stampeding in a circle making it impossible to target an individual..here the fawns are in the middle.”
The video that shows brown and white reindeer walking briskly in circles has been reportedly shot by photographer Lev Fedoseyev with a drone in Russia’s Kola Peninsula, in the Arctic Circle.
Taking to a subsequent tweet, the user also revealed that the video was originally posted on the Facebook page of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography Peter the Great, aka Kunstkámera, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Reindeer Cyclones are a real thing… a swirling mass of threatened reindeer stampeding in a circle making it impossible to target an individual.. here the fawns are in the middle This herd is on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, in the Arctic Circle pic.twitter.com/0Y2UwBKuOh
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) March 30, 2021
The video was originally posted on the Facebook page of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography Peter the Great, aka Kunstkámera, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) March 30, 2021
By photographer Lev Fedoseyev. And it is the fawns and does in the centre— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) March 30, 2021
The 23-second clip was also shared by The Moscow Times and it said, “This mesmerizing video of reindeer in Russia’s Murmansk region captured by photographer Lev Fedoseyev shows how the herd will ‘dance’ in a circle to protect the does and their fawns in the centre.”
This mesmerizing video of reindeer in Russia’s Murmansk region captured by photographer Lev Fedoseyev shows how the herd will ‘dance’ in a circle to protect the does and their fawns in the center pic.twitter.com/0F0sXP0zBs— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 30, 2021
According to a report in Live Science from two years ago, “reindeer cyclones” are basically threatened herd which runs around in circles so that it’s difficult for any hunter including the Vikings to target any one animal.
“Faced with this spinning reindeer stampede, any predator — wolf, bear or human — would have a very tough time targeting and overpowering a single reindeer, making this a formidable defence strategy, according to a statement from PBS,” reported Live Science.

“평생 사상가. 웹 광신자. 좀비 중독자. 커뮤니케이터. 창조자. 프리랜서 여행 애호가.”