FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA* 



Department of the Interior, 

 Bureau of Education, Alaska Division, 



Washington, D. C, Decemher 15, 19O4. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the fourteenth annual report on 

 the introduction of reindeer into Alaska. Annual reports more or 

 less full have been received from all the stations. These reports show 

 that on the 30th of June, 1904, there were 8,189 domestic reindeer 

 in Alaska, of which number 2,284 were fawns, born during the spring 

 of this year. 



These 8,189 reindeer are distributed in 12 herds at 11 central 

 stations. 



A review of the statistical tables is full of encouragement. Table I 

 shows in detail that between the years 1892 and 1902 1,280 reindeer 

 were imported from Siberia into Alaska; and that from -these im- 

 ported deer and their fawns, commencing with 143 in 1892, the deer 

 have increased in 1904 to a grand total of 8,189. 



Table I. — Increase from 1892 to 190 J^. 



Year. 



1892. 

 1893. 

 1894. 



IS;)'). 

 1896. 

 1897. 

 1898. 

 1899. 



Imported 



from 

 Siberia. 



171 



124 

 120 

 123 



161 

 322 



Total in 

 herd. 



143 



323 

 492 

 743 

 1,000 

 1,132 

 1,733 

 2,394 



Year. 



1900. 

 1901. 

 1902. 

 1903 . 

 1904. 



Imported 



from 

 Siberia. 



Total. 



29 

 200 

 30 



Total in 

 herd. 



2,692 

 3,464 

 4,795 

 6, 282 

 8,189 



1,280 



8,189 



Table II shows the prolificness of the reindeer. The statistics cov- 

 ering the years 1892 to 1904 show that the increase of the reindeer 

 herds progresses at an average rate of 45 per cent per annum, 

 doubling the total once in 2 J years. Thus in 1907 the total num- 

 ber of reindeer in Alaska should be 16,000; in 1909, 32,000; in 1912, 

 64,000; in 1915, 128,000. The increase by birth of 1,877 last year 

 made a good showing; the increase of 2,284 this present year makes 

 a better snowing, and if the same percentage of increase is continued 



