We stand, clumped together like trees, as the workers release the reindeer. The herd thunders down the hill, running right towards us, then past us, to dive their heads down to piles of lichen arranged on the snow for them. It’s meet the herd time at Running Reindeer Ranch outside Fairbanks, Alaska.
Jane Atkinson, founder of Running Reindeer, introduces the reindeer to my group of about twenty people, one at a time. We hear their names and personality traits. I had no idea that reindeer were such individuals.
The reindeer ranch started in 2007, when Jane’s then-twelve-year-old daughter talked her into adopting two reindeer, Ruby and Moon. Now the herd has grown to eleven, and the ranch has turned into a fulltime business. Jane and her husband Doug Toelle offer walks with reindeer in the boreal forest year-round, and reindeer yoga in the summer. Which I would really love to participate in one day.
Reindeer facts
Before visiting the ranch, I knew pretty much nothing about reindeer. I hadn’t even realized they were the domesticated form of caribou. Jane tells us that reindeer were domesticated three thousand years ago and are not distinct from their wild forebears. For example, reindeer are homebodies while Alaska’s thirty caribou herds roam widely. Reindeer are considered livestock in Alaska, and Jane has had some trouble convincing veterinarians to treat her large pets, rather than culling them for meat. “My reindeer are lucky to have been born into a vegetarian household,” she says.
Fun fact about reindeer: They have clicking ligaments that help them high step through the snow. You know the part of that song “Up On the Rooftop” that goes “click, click, click?” It’s referencing these ligaments.
Also, their antlers are a big deal. Before we start a walk up the snowy path, Jane warns us to watch out for reindeer who want to play “pull my antlers” or sneak up and poke us in the butt. “The whole point of these antlers is to be a boss reindeer,” she says. “It is the dream of every reindeer to be the boss reindeer.” We are not to engage.
Reindeer shed their antlers every spring, then grown them back in the summer. Antlers can grow up to an inch a day. They also tank up on food during the summer to put on a layer of winter fat. “Forty below is t-shirt weather for them,” Jane says. “They’re true arctic thrivers.”
Dramatic creatures
As we meander up the path, staying alert for antlers, Jane encourages us to pet the reindeer. Their fur is soft and very, very thick, with about 15,000 hairs per inch. Jane reminds us to stay calm. “Reindeer are pretty susceptible to energy,” she says, “so be mellow. They’re pretty high-drama animals in general, but this is a good herd.”
Jane has had a variety of careers, including nursing. But reindeer walking is her favorite. I can see why.
