On social networks one continues to circulate viral photo which shows a reindeer in the middle of the night with Huge fluorescent orange hornsapparently treated with a special reflective paint. The post, which has collected tens of thousands of shares, states that the image is the result of a Experiment started in Finland To reduce road accidents involving these animals. But if the experiment is Truethe photo.
In 2014, in fact, theAssociation of reindeer breedersbody linked to the Ministry of Agriculture and Finnish forests, has actually experienced the use of reflective paint On the horns and cloaks of the reindeer. The aim was to make them more visible to motorists and reduce the thousands of accidents which every year cause the death of these animals. However, the project did not lead to the desired results: the paint tended to deteriorate too quicklymaking the intervention ineffective.
The photo was a 3D digital creation
There photo that has become viralhowever, is another story. It is not a real shot but one digital creation Vasjen Katro’s visual artistmade entirely with 3D software. Katro explained that the illustration is inspired by an article on the Finnish experiment. Published in 2020 on its Instagram profile, it was subsequently used by other users without clarifying the origin artistic image, generating confusion.
The author of the original post subsequently updated the content for accredit Katrobut many shares continue to spread the photo as if it were authentic. A detail that has contributed to the spread of misunderstanding concerns the Autonomous brightness of the horns in the photowhile in reality the reflective paint works only if illuminated from external sources, such as car headlights.
Despite the failure of the paint, Finland has found more effective solutionslike the use of app who warn drivers in case of reindeer sightings nearby, significantly reducing accidents. Other experimented methods include reflective collars and mobile signs.
Therefore it is true that the experiment is really existedthe image that captured the attention of the web is alone Fruit of digital art. A perfect example of how real news can become misleading if accompanied by non -authentic content.
