Hikers Joined by a ‘Guardian Reindeer’ on Walking Trail Warms Hearts

A video of travelers met by a “hiking reindeer” in Finland has captivated viewers on TikTok.
The unique experience was captured in a video posted by @maiahelisten, which has amassed over 411,000 views since it was shared on August 31. A caption shared with the post reads: “Have you ever seen anything like this? We met a hiking reindeer in Hetta-Pallas, Finland.”
The footage shows scenes of a reindeer with giant antlers and a collar around its neck walking across a mountain landscape with a couple of hikers carrying large backpacks.
The 50-kilometer (around 31 miles) Hetta-Pallas hiking trail is the most popular long-distance hiking trail in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in the Lapland region of Finland.
The trail “leads over fells, sometimes descending to the ravines below to once again, as if to prepare hikers for the breathtaking view from the top of the next fell,” the park’s official website describes.
The hikers’ encounter in the viral video is not surprising because the national park is a reindeer herding area.
The park has fences that section off lands used by reindeer herding groups. Accessing these fenced areas can be difficult, but there are gates and bridges located on marked trails that cross over the fence.
The park’s website says: “You must always shut the gates after you have passed through them. If herders and their herd should come your way, move out of sight or stand very quietly out of the way. This is the best way to ensure that you don’t disturb the animals on their travel.”
The best time for hiking this trail begins after the Midsummer period and continues through mid-October, when there are only a few hikers around and the first snow comes, according to the website.
A note across the viral TikTok clip says, “We did not touch or feed it,” as the reindeer is later seen stopping to drink some water from a small pool.
In a later comment, the poster said that the collar on the reindeer “has GPS and reflector (all reindeers are basically owned by someone). The color also communicates the area/herd somehow.”
“We wondered if it joined to keep us safe or came to show us that unbelievable experiences are possible,” another message overlaid on the video reads. The reindeer is shown trailing behind one of the hikers, while it later moves ahead of another.
“We were a pack for a day and you’ll be forever in our hearts,” a final note across the clip adds as the video ends.
In a later comment, the poster said: “He rested next to our open-wilderness hut when we went to sleep around midnight. Then he had left during the night. The owner said he is now back, so most likely he had hiked back.”
Viewers on TikTok swooned over the reindeer encounter in the viral post. Terhi Pessi wrote that the animal was a “Guardian reindeer.”
Susanne posted, “What a sweet Tour Guide!” and wiesniara added: “A local guide has always best knowledge about the area.”
Joanna commented: “He was a ranger and had to make sure you adhered to the rules.”
Lea Grom wrote, “that’s amazing! what an experience,” and @sarahwingz posted: “he didn’t want to travel alone and decided to join your group.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via [email protected] and your story could be featured on Newsweek.