为了给一个有关驯鹿的研究计划筹集资金，位于挪威南部的瓦尔谢伊镇在3月2日推出了一项特殊服务，任何公司、团体或个人只要向该计划捐赠价值为5000挪威克朗（740美元）的资金，那么其中一只驯鹿便会被冠以这个赞助者的名字。此做法立即得到了各方的热烈欢迎，大部分驯鹿当天便“名鹿有主”。该镇林业管理部门的负责人海尔格·赛恩斯表示：“我们手头目前还剩下四五只驯鹿，但它们也会很快找到买主的。”

    据美联社3月2日报道，瓦尔谢伊镇野生动物管理部门的官员打算在25只驯鹿的头部安装上带有无线电跟踪装置的项圈，这样他们便可以对这些驯鹿在今后2年内的行踪进行研究。有关方面希望通过这项研究来探明这些驯鹿的具体行踪，搞清它们在夏季和冬季到底去过哪些牧场，它们更偏爱哪些种类的牧草，估计出它们的死亡率，同时还希望能够找到行之有效的好办法来降低驯鹿与火车或汽车发生碰撞的危险。但此项计划的成本也显得十分高昂，预计耗资将会超过400000挪威克朗（60000美元）。所以他们便希望过驯鹿来筹措到研究所需的部分资金。任何公司、团体或个人只需花上5000挪威克朗（740美元）便可以从该研究团队手中买下一只驯鹿的“冠名权”。赛恩斯在接受美联社记者采访时表示：“这笔钱其实与每只驯鹿实际所需的研究资金还有相当的距离，但如果没有这些捐助者的善举，我们的研究计划恐怕就会无法进行下去了。”

    到目前为止，真正解囊相助的都是些公司。赛恩斯说：“做为赞助合同的一部分，那些赞助者可以在互联网上始终关注与自己同名的驯鹿的行踪，但有关方面并未安排他们与驯鹿亲自见面。我们想让这些驯鹿生活在安静祥和的环境之中。我们不打算让那些人前来探访驯鹿。我们不希望给它们增添一丝一毫的压力。”

    A small Norwegian town was quickly running out of moose Thursday after offering to name each animal after its sponsor in a research project.

    "We have four or five left, but they are going fast," said Helge Sines, head of forestry for Vegaarshei township in southern Norway.

    Township wildlife officials wanted to put radio tracking collars on 25 moose, so they could study their movements for two years. But the project was too expensive, at more than 400,000 kroner ($60,000).

    So they enlisted the moose themselves to do a little fundraising.

    For a 5,000 kroner ($740) donation, the team will name a moose for a sponsoring company, organization or individual.

    "It doesn't cover the amount per animal, but without the goodwill of these sponsors, we wouldn't have been able to go ahead," Sines told The Associated Press.

    So far, the sponsors have been companies, leaving the moose with names like Telenor, the Norwegian telecommunications group, and Interoptikk Brillehjoernet, an opticians' chain.

    "We never intended to go out and promote this but the sponsorship project was mentioned in one line, one subordinate clause, on the town's home page (Wednesday), and things took off," Sines said.

    "We sold five moose this morning alone," he said.

    As part of the deal, moose sponsors can track their namesake on the Internet, although personal meetings are not on the agenda.

    "We leave the moose in peace," said Sines. "We do not take people to visit the moose. We don't want to do anything to stress them."