Brookfield Zoo Welcomes First Reindeer Fawn In 37 Years
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Reindeers do not just come around for the holiday season...
A reindeer named "Bunny," at Brookfield Zoo, gave birth Wednesday to a male fawn just days before Easter.
The unnamed fawn was born Wednesday morning and weighs only about seven pounds, but will grow quickly from drinking its mother's milk, according to the zoo's announcement. The fawn was up and walking within an hour from his birth.
This is the first reindeer birth at Brookfield Zoo since 1980 - 37 years ago!
A day-old fawn is capable of outrunning a human, according to the zoo. Fawns are born with dark fur that acts as camouflage and absorbs radiant heat from the sun; but around the age of 2- to 3-months, reindeers begin to shed their dark fur, as lighter-colored fur grows in. Also at around that time, little antler buds will begin developing.
The fawn's parents Bunny and Karl arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 2015 and 2016, respectively, the zoo said.
Guests can see Bunny and her fawn along with Karl and Crystal, another member of the reindeer herd, in their outdoor habitat at the Hamill Family Wild Encounters exhibit.
Check out the photos of Bunny and her fawn below:
