Reindeer

The reinder is a valuable and important animal to the nomadic tribes of the arctic regions, especially the Lapps.It is the only deer that can be domesticated. It provides butter, meat, cheese, clothing, and transportation. Its antlers and bones are used to make tools and utensils, and the tough sinews in its legs are used to make thread. The reindeer's range has decreased dramatically due to extensive hunting and the destruction of its natural habitat by man. The building of hydro electric power plants has caused rivers to be diverted and large dams to be constructed in Canada and Siberia. The alteration of the natural landscape obstructs reindeer migration routes and causes thousands to drown.

The occasions for reindeer conversations vary, and they include social contact, interactions between mother and young, encounters with predators and especially the complex negotiations involved in mating.

As the time approaches to give birth, the female leaves the herd and chooses a secluded spot. She usually returns to the same spot each year to calve, or bear young. The calf is born between late May and early June, when the herd is at the summer grazing grounds. It weighs 11 - 20 pounds and can stand within minutes after being born. It suckles until it is five to six months old.Unlike many baby deer, the reindeer fawn's coat is not marked with camouflaging spots. Becasue they are born in early summer, the calves have enough time to feed and grow strong before the Fall migration, when predators are most likely to attack.The calf's antlers begin to grow when the animal is a year old.