Stark Parks issued the following announcement on Dec. 30.
One last leap year animal to end our leap year series, featuring different amazing leapers of the animal kingdom! Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, are our featured creature. Wild caribou and reindeer are built for running! They have long migratory routes that they take during the spring and fall, some herds traveling over 3000 miles a year! Caribou can keep a steady gait at 25mph or sprint at 50mph! The structure of their hoof even changes depending on the season to give them the best gait. Okay, but where is the leap? Wild caribou living on the arctic tundra usually have little need to jump. Most of their jumping happens when they spot a predator. They will jump into the air to alert other caribou that there is a threat nearby. However, special reindeer that live near the North Pole who help pull Santa’s sleigh have been recorded jumping 25 miles in a single bound! They only go on one great migration a year, on the 25th, but pack in the miles to visit every house and deliver gifts! It seems they had another successful leap this year! Happy Holidays!
Original source can be found here.
Source: Stark Parks
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