Keeping the peace in frozen Far North

KAUTOKEINO, Norway - Mathis Andreas, an indigenous Sami reindeer herder, sees a snowmobile with glowing fluorescent strips approach his remote cabin in the frozen tundra and worries what the neighboring herder may think.

It's the "reindeer police" in Norwegian Lapland, the only force of its kind in the world. Their job is to prevent conflicts between herders and ensure the Far North doesn't turn into the Wild West.

Here, far above the Arctic Circle, the reindeers' grazing grounds can be a source of conflict. Some argue there are just too many reindeer, while harsh weather conditions can make it difficult for the animals to access their main diet, lichen, under the ice-covered snow.