Reindeers Get ready for Christmas Eve Deliveries
At Drusillas Park in East Sussex, Santa’s reindeers Tinsel and Twinkle are filling up on lots of magic dust ahead of their long flight on Christmas Eve.
Tinsel and Twinkle have been looked after by the zoo keepers since the end of November when Father Christmas arrived at the Park to take up residence of his winter cottage. They will remain at Drusillas until Tuesday 23rd December, building up their strength ready to deliver gifts to children around the world in time for Christmas Day.
At just 3 years old, Tinsel and Twinkle are two of Santa’s newest recruits and will take their position alongside Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixon, to pull his sleigh.
Their diet is a mixture of hay, barley straw and reindeer pellets, which offer a good mixture of the vitamins and minerals they require. However, under strict instructions from the Big Man himself, the keepers have also been adding magic reindeer dust to each and every meal.
Like cows, reindeers have four stomach chambers so require plenty of dust to fill them up. Keepers add this to their three daily meals, as well as providing carrot snacks to help them see in the dark.
Section Leader, Jodie Dryden commented: “We have been told to add exactly a sprinkle and a half of special reindeer dust to their diets, which contains the magic ingredients to help them fly and assist Father Christmas with delivering the presents.”
"It’s been great having Tinsel and Twinkle at the Park. Christmas is a magical time for children and having reindeer here and explaining more about the species has been very rewarding.”
“Twinkle and Tinsel have been great to work with and have their own personalities albeit cheeky at times. I think Santa may have his hands full on Christmas Eve but I have every confidence that they will deliver him to people’s houses and back to the North Pole safely.”