Vaguely terrifying or magical? Reindeers in Finland sport glow-in-the-dark horns, and people are spooked!

Imagine walking down a deserted road at night, with not a soul in sight, when you suddenly spot two eerie, crookedly lit-up twigs. You'd likely do a double take and feel your heart skip a beat. This exact scenario unfolded for someone in Finland recently—and the reason behind it is amusing, to say the least.

A post on X has recently gone viral, amassing over 11.7 million views.?

It features an image of a reindeer with its antlers eerily illuminated, giving it a ghoulish appearance.?

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Reindeer/ X

The post explains, "Today I learned that in Finland, they used to have about 4,000 reindeer/car accidents a year, so they paint their antlers with reflective paint, and this is vaguely terrifying."

Reflective paintis a unique coating that absorbs light and reflects it as visible light rays, enhancing visibility during night time.?

According to a 2014 report by the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, approximately 4,000 reindeer die in traffic accidents each year in Finland.?

To address this issue, the Finnish government began the initiative to paint reindeer antlers with reflective paint in 2014. The idea is to spray the antlers with reflective paint that shines when motorists' headlights hit them, thereby reducing the likelihood of accidents.

Credit: X

In the comments section, people praised the initiative for its ingenuity while also acknowledging its creepiness.?

One commenter remarked, "An amazing initiative to save reindeer, which might look a little creepy at night."

Another added, "Just to be clear, this eco-friendly paint does not glow in the dark on its own. It is reflective paint, so it glows only when light hits it, protecting them from car accidents as the car headlights make them shine bright. It could still look scary for a driver who has never experienced it before."

Reindeer

Could a similar initiative be effective in India? Picture the one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park with a glowing horn as it navigates roads. The choice is yours to ponder!

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