Reindeer are most commonly known as the animal that is used to help carry Santa’s sleigh on Christmas night. But is a caribou related to them?

They are actually the same animal. They are a member of the deer family. In North America, wild reindeer are called caribou and domesticated reindeer are just called reindeer. Student Trinidad Martinez says, “I had no idea that they were the same animal. I always thought they were just similar to each other.” 

In North America, there are about 3.5 million caribou and there are about one million caribou in the Northern parts of Russia and Europe. 

In order to adapt to their colder climates, their noses are able to warm the air before it gets in their lungs, and their eyes have developed to allow them to navigate during cold winter nights.

Reindeer typically eat ferns, mosses, herbs, grasses, leaves and shrubs from trees such as willow and birch. 

Reindeer were first domesticated thousands of years ago in Europe by an indigenous group of people called the Sami people. Archaeological evidence shows that reindeer used to be in the U.K. but most likely climate change and hunting are to blame for their disappearance.

Around Christmas time, Santa’s reindeer can be visited right in Hershey Pa. In Hersheypark, Santa’s reindeer can be seen at the Merry and Bright Airfield and Santa can be visited as well. 

Students from Lower Dauphin have visited the reindeer as well as many other Hersheypark guests.  Freshman Abigail Forester says, “I’ve seen the reindeer at Hersheypark but the line was pretty long.”

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