Alaska's reindeer herding was concentrated on Seward Peninsula ever since the first shipment of reindeer were imported there from eastern Siberia in 1892.[6] It was believed that migrating caribou, could be prevented from mingling with the domesticated reindeer on the Peninsula because of the geography of the peninsula, thereby avoiding loss of reindeer that might wander off with caribou.[6][7] However, in 1997 the domesticated reindeer joined the Western Arctic Caribou Herd on their summer migration and disappeared.[8]