Today’s weather forecast shows cloudy with a chance of reindeer cyclones… wait, what?!

If you’ve watched Frozen 2, you might recall the scene where all the reindeer run together in a big circle. Sven may look happy, but in reality reindeer don’t run in circles because they made it to Hollywood or because peace was restored to a magical world! They do it as an excellent defensive strategy. The young fawns and vulnerable members of the herd are kept at the centre for protection, while the more energetic and stronger reindeer circle the outside of the cyclone. It makes it almost impossible for a predator, human or animal, to target an individual. The phenomenon was first described by the Vikings, whose way of life was very much connected to hunting reindeer. While many species will circle their young to protect them from predators, reindeer seem to be one of the few that create this mesmerizing circle, or cyclone.