UNION GROVE — They are the animals you think of during the holidays — Reindeer, majestic creatures, each with unique personalities.
At Paris Deer Park in Union Grove, reindeer are just some of the animals visitors can see and learn more about.
Owner Colleen Vana and Director Steve Pulera started offering educational and holiday-themed tours last year.
"People get really excited during the holidays to see them, but we have a variety of other animals," said Colleen.
During the tours, people can feed the animals, take pictures, and learn unique facts about reindeer.
"Kids can get up and feel how thick their winter coat is," said Colleen.
The park has about 40 animals, including alpacas and different deer species. To the deer, Colleen and Steve are part of the herd, and caring for them requires their day to start early in the morning.
"Now we are bottle feeding a fawn born in late September, a mule deer fawn. He actually needs a little help, so he gets fed first. All the animals get fed before us," said Steve.
But taking care of the animals is a labor of love.
"It’s a lifestyle. A lot of work. It takes a little bit of a background in science, biology, farming, equipment operation—some days, it’s pretty much everything you’ve got," said Steve.
Watch: Meet some of Santa's helpers in Union Grove.
Teaching visitors about the animals is the main goal for Colleen and Steve, who both have a background in biology and years of experience in the zoological field.
"I hope that it instills some you know happy memories and thoughts about farming," said Steve.
"I think our biggest message is that we should care about the animals that are here in our backyard. We have some native species, domesticated ones, and even exotic wild animals. The biggest thing is learning how we can coexist with the animals around us every day," said Colleen.
So as Christmas approaches, while these reindeer are far from the North Pole, they are training for what could be the role of a lifetime.
"Technically, all reindeer are Santa’s reindeer. They might not be the first string on the team, but they’re all excited. We’ve got some up-and-comers," said Colleen.
It’s these moments with the reindeer and animals at Paris Deer Park that make the place feel like Christmas magic.
To learn more about Paris Deer Park,click here.
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