Novel rumen bacterial isolates from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)

Reindeer in northern Norway experience large seasonal variations in access and quality of food. Pastures are often blocked by ice and snow during winter and reindeer are consequently exposed to periods of starvation. Supplementary feeding has become increasingly common during winter in the traditional reindeer husbandry in Norway. Transitional feeding may cause digestive problems that could be reduced by use of probiotics. This paper presents novel bacterial isolates from reindeer rumen contents, as characterized in a search for a probiotic for reindeer.