Put a Jingle in Your Step and Rack Up Happy Memories

Reindeer and Caribou are the same species. The scientific name for this animal is Rangifer tarandus.  In North America this mammal is called caribou while across Eurasia they are called reindeer. Woodland caribou are found in the boreal forest across Canada.  

Reindeer or caribou are the only deer species to be domesticated.  They are farmed for their milk, meat, and hides and often used as draft animals to pull heavy loads such as Santa’s sleigh.  

Both the male and female caribou have antlers.  The female’s antlers are small and straight while the male’s are larger and they branch out.  Most bulls (the males) shed their fuzzy antlers before the beginning of winter because the mating season occurs in the fall.  Once the male caribou or reindeer have used their antlers to impress their mates, they no longer have use for them.  

Reindeer are well-adapted to life in the Arctic.  They have a thick, insulating coat that keeps them warm in the freezing temperatures. Their large hooves act like snowshoes enabling them to walk through deep snow.  They are herbivores and are able to survive on a diet of lichens, mosses, and other low-quality vegetation that is abundant in the northern tundra. 

These domesticated animals are pretty friendly to humans and since they are herbivores you can be sure they will not try to eat you.  

In Canada, reindeer or caribou can be found in the northern parts of Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and in the Arctic Islands of Nunavut. The largest population of wild caribou in Canada is in the Arctic Islands. It is estimated that the population is around 400,000.

Caribou have been an important part of the culture and livelihood of the Indigenous peoples of Northern Canada for centuries.  The inuit, Gwich’in, and other northern indigenous peoples have relied on reindeer for food, and clothing for generations. Today many many communities rely on reindeer hunting and herding as an important source of income. 

The wolf is the greatest natural predator of the caribou.  Wolves follow migrating caribou herds killing mostly the aged, injured or weak animals. Caribou is an important food source for the indigenous communities throughout the north.  Habitat loss, industrial development, climate change and over-hunting has resulted in a decline in the reindeer populations in Canada.  Efforts are underway to protect and conserve these magnificent animals. 

These are the sayings I found on the bookmark called Advice from a Reindeer.

• Appreciate snow days

• Rack up happy memories

• Enjoy the great outdoors

• Make deer friends

• Know when to hoof it

• Put a jingle in your step

• Chill out!

Here are my comments about each of these sayings.

• Appreciate snow days - Oh, I can relate to that!  As a teacher we always loved it when we got a snow day.  No school!

• Rack up happy memories - When talking about caribou or reindeer, rack refers to their antlers.  To rack up happy memories means to gather or store up memories.  This saying is telling us to create memories, happy times spent with family and friends.

• Enjoy the great outdoors - Enjoy being outside and doing things in nature. 

• Make deer friends - Deer for dear.  Good friends are important.  Be a good friend to others. 

• Know when to hoof it - Know when to leave a situation or project.  

• Put a jingle in your step - Be enthusiastic.  Enjoy what you are doing.

• Chill out! - To chill out is to take a break and relax.  

Have a great day everyone.  Put a jingle in your step and rack up happy memories.

# living life abundantly  # published author # travelling tuesdays