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Heavy snowfall and chilling temperatures of -30°C do not deter criminals in northern Russia.

Now police trying to maintain law in the region are struggling on their snowmobiles and want to use reindeer to combat crime on the bleak tundra.

They say that that mammals are more reliable than their machines and can run fast on deep snow thanks to their adaptable hooves.

Crime fighting reindeer? Police trying to maintain law in the region are struggling on their snowmobiles and want to use reindeer (pictured) to combat crime on the bleak tundra

Some areas of the country's Arctic region are only accessible by reindeer and the Izvestia newspaper has reported that a gang of Siberia's indigenous people are using reindeer to make a speedy getaway from crime scenes, leaving police on snowmobiles in their wake.

Of the 163 crimes reported in the Yamalsky municipality in western Siberia, which were mainly drunken brawls, robberies and 'acts of hooliganism,' indigenous minorities committed 127 of them.

Russian police chasing the criminals told the newspaper that their snowmobiles can break down and run out of gas – unlike reindeer.

Irina Pimkina from the region's Interior said: 'Of course we have snowmobiles in service, but one should understand that a machine is a machine.'

The police say that the furry mammals are more reliable than a snowmobile and are faster on deep snow thanks to their adaptable hooves (pictured) which can cut into the ice

Of the 163 crimes reported in the Yamalsky municipality in western Siberia (pictured) which were mainly drunken brawls, robberies and 'acts of hooliganism,' indigenous minorities committed 127 of them

Some areas of the country's Arctic region are only accessible by reindeer it's been reported that a gang of Siberia's indigenous people are using reindeer to make a speedy getaway from crime scenes, leaving police on snowmobiles in their wake. This stock image shows a man participating in an annual racing competition

'A snowmobile can break down or get stuck in the tundra, but the deer will run at all times.'

The force believes that the animals will give them an edge in policing the remote area and they have been asking for reindeer recruits for two years.

Reindeer's hooves are unique because they adapt to seasonal weather conditions, Mother Nature Network reported.

When ground is soft in the summer, the bottoms of the animal's hooves act like sponges to provide traction, while the rim of the hoof becomes exposed in the winter.

This means that they can cut into ice and snow to stop them from slipping. They even use them to dig down through hard snow so they can find their favourite food – a lichen known as reindeer moss.

Of the 163 crimes reported in the Yamalsky municipality in western Siberia, which were mainly drunken brawls, robberies and 'acts of hooliganism,' indigenous minorities committed 127 of them. A stock image of reindeer herders sitting outside a traditional hide tent is shown

The vision of reindeer may also outperform a snowmobile's lights, because the animals can see ultraviolet light.

Snow reflects up to 90 per cent of UV light and this ability helps the animals to see clearly in dim lighting and landscapes that are largely white, where may objects blend unto the landscape.

Things like fur and urine, for example, show up clearly in ultraviolet light, compared to what humans see.

A study by University College London (UCL) revealed in 2011 that reindeer can see light with wavelengths as short as 320 nanometres (nm), considerably below the human threshold of 400 nm.

Researchers from the University of Tromsø discovered that the eyes of reindeer change colour according to the seasons too.

They wrote: 'Arctic reindeer eyes change in colour through the seasons from gold through to blue to help them better detect predators.'

While it may seem funny that policemen could use reindeer like a police car, the country's navy already uses animals to enforce rules.

The Russian Defence Ministry uses donkeys patrol the country's mountain ranges, while the Navy employed the help of dolphins to enable them to detect underwater mines.

THE 'SUPERSIGHT' OF REINDEER 

The ability to see the sun's UV rays reflecting off the snow helps reindeer (pictured) survive in a winter wonderland invisible to other animals

Scientists have found that it's the light of their surroundings, and not Rudoph's nose, which helps guide reindeer in the Arctic.

The ability to see the sun's UV rays reflecting off the snow helps reindeer survive in a winter wonderland invisible to other animals, according to research.

Scientists have learned that the animals' special eyesight allows them to spot hidden predators, such as wolves, and find vital winter food sources.

Human eyes block off ultraviolet light and can be damaged by the penetrating rays, resulting in snow blindness.

Professor Glen Jeffery, from University College London (UCL), said: 'We discovered that reindeer can not only see ultraviolet light but they can also make sense of the image to find food and stay safe.

'Humans and almost all other mammals could never do this as our lenses just don't let UV through the eye.'

Humans are able to see a rainbow of light wavelengths ranging from around 700 nanometres (nm) - corresponding to the colour red - to 400nm (violet).

Professor Jeffery's team carried out tests, which showed that reindeer can see wavelengths down to between around 350 and 320nm, taking them to the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.

During the arctic winter, when the sun barely rises in the middle of the day, sunlight reaching the ground is scattered so that most of it is blue or in the form of UV rays. In addition, snow reflects up to 90 per cent of the UV light that falls on it.

The 'supersight' of reindeer enables the creatures to exploit these conditions to their advantage.

'When we used cameras that could pick up UV, we noticed that there are some very important things that absorb UV light and therefore appear black, contrasting strongly with the snow,' Professor Jeffery said.

'This includes urine - a sign of predators or competitors, lichens - a major food source in winter, and fur, making predators such as wolves very easy to see despite being camouflaged to other animals that can't see UV.'