UK reindeer farmers have warned their livelihoods are at risk as moves by some local authorities could see domesticated herds reclassified as wild animals and forced to operate under zoo licensing rules.
The Association of British Reindeer Herders (ABRH) says the shift would place small rural businesses under regulations designed for zoos, imposing costs and requirements that many farms could not survive.
In response, a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke is due to receive its second reading in Parliament on 16 January 2026, seeking to confirm reindeer as domesticated livestock in UK law.
Emma Bunting, speaking on behalf of the ABRH, said her organisation is “literally fighting for their farming livelihoods” amid what it describes as inconsistent and incorrect interpretations of licensing rules. The association is now urging MPs from all parties to support the bill ahead of its next parliamentary stage.
Under existing arrangements, reindeer farms typically operate under animal exhibition licences, allowing them to display animals to the public for short periods, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.
However, the ABRH says some councils have begun insisting that herders apply for full zoo licences if reindeer are displayed on their own land for more than six days, or if animals are hired to other seasonal rural businesses such as Christmas tree farms.
The association argues this is based on a misclassification of reindeer as wild animals. All reindeer kept in the UK belong to the domesticated species Rangifer tarandus tarandus, rather than the wild caribou Rangifer tarandus granti. Reindeer were reintroduced to the UK from domesticated Scandinavian herds in 1952 and have since become established across the country.
More than 1,000 reindeer are now kept on farms in the UK, compared with just 47 animals in zoos. Farmed reindeer are regulated in the same way as other livestock, with Defra-approved ear tags, animal movement licences issued by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and routine health measures such as vaccination, worming and hoof trimming.
ABRH says domesticated reindeer are already exempt from the Dangerous Wild Animals Act and that existing animal exhibition licensing provides appropriate oversight of welfare and public safety. Farms are inspected by local authority licensing officers, with standards covering animal husbandry, handling and public interaction.
The association warned that imposing zoo licensing would be financially crippling, requiring agricultural land to be reclassified, specialist perimeter fencing to be installed and additional security measures to be introduced. Ms Bunting said these costs would be unsustainable for most reindeer farms and could leave euthanasia of established herds as the only option.
The bill backed by Ms Dyke aims to remove uncertainty by explicitly recognising reindeer as domesticated animals. ABRH has called on reindeer herders, rural businesses and supporters to contact their MPs ahead of the second reading on 16 January, stressing that parliamentary backing is vital to safeguard the future of the sector.
Ms Bunting said the association has spent months working to bring the issue before Parliament and is now seeking cross-party support to ensure “yet another small rural business can be protected for years to come”.
