Reindeer Herder Ordered to Kill Half His Animals

Some very un-Christmassy news from Norway: A reindeer herder has lost a high-profile case against the government and has been ordered to slaughter half his 150-strong herd, NRK reports. Herder Jovsset Ante Sara, a member of the indigenous Sami community, had argued that he couldn't make a living after such a big reduction in his herd, reports the Telegraph. Norway is home to around 220,000 reindeer and the government is trying to reduce numbers to prevent overgrazing. Earlier this month, the herder's sister, Maret Anne Sara, drew attention to the case by hanging an artwork made up of 400 bullet-ridden reindeer skulls outside the country's parliament building, the AP reports. (More reindeer stories.)