Issaquah zoo's reindeer games are almost over for season

Ever consider what Dasher, Dancer and Prancer do in the offseason?

Robyn Barfoot can tell you.

During the 11 months when they're not parading in silver bells and red bows, which some actually do in December, and when they're not serving as Santa's chauffeurs, which they do in legend, reindeer — at least the nine living in Issaquah — spend their time at Cougar Mountain Zoo.

For more than 21 years, the zoo has been home to one of the largest public herds of Siberian reindeer in the nation. Barfoot oversees all training and caring for Santa's reputed helpers — including one named Rudolf.

"Reindeer do exist," Barfoot says. "Some people don't realize they're a real species, they think they're just a story."

During December, zoo manager and curator Barfoot dons another hat — one with pointed ears and small bells — and becomes lead elf at the Issaquah Reindeer Festival, now in its 21st year and winding up today.

More than 10,000 visitors stop by each year to view the reindeer, which are native to Northern Europe, Greenland and other Arctic Circle regions.

The rest of the zoo attractions are not excluded from the holiday festival. Bengal tigers are touted as Santa's candy-cane makers. Alpacas? They're Santa's South American reindeer.

To keep the magic of the Santa story alive, Barfoot says, she constantly assures children that the Cougar Mountain Rudolf, despite his black, fuzzy, not-red nose, is the real thing. He's the ultimate energy-conservation zealot, she explains with a twinkle, so he makes his nose glow red only when guiding Santa's sleigh.

Santa's reindeer are definitely not all male, Barfoot says. In reindeer, both sexes have antlers that regrow every year. Bulls lose theirs in December or January, and cows usually in March.

Did you know reindeer are the fastest-swimming hoofed animals in the world? In the wild they swim through Arctic waters at speeds up to 6 mph.

Commonly mistaken for the larger, leggier North American caribou, reindeer have large snowshoelike hoofs that help them walk through snowy terrain and act as paddles in water. They also are the only species of deer to have fur-covered noses.

"Most people don't realize all these unique characteristics of reindeer. But when you learn these fascinating things, you just fall in love with these little guys," Barfoot said. Little? An adult reindeer stands only 3 ½ to 4 feet tall.

Though they may fade a bit from mind January through November, Issaquah's reindeer are busy.

Two of the best-mannered reindeer — Dasher and Dancer — are taken on outreach programs to schools, events and parties year-round, where they help zoo trainers educate the public about the Rangifer tarandus sibericus, the scientific name of the species.

"It creates an interaction between the animals and the observer," Barfoot said of the outings. "It encourages kids to learn more about the species and possibly become more conscious of wildlife."

Because the Northwest typically has mild summers, this region provides a very comfortable retreat for reindeer.

It may not be natural reindeer weather, with their dense winter coats — 18,000 strands of light-brown fur per square inch — they can withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees below zero. Given the proper accommodations and precautions, the animals can thrive in the Northwest, said Peter Rittler, Zoological Society of Washington president.

The Cougar Mountain Zoo reindeer habitat was constructed on a North-facing slope, to shield the mammals from as much sun exposure as possible. Though most are fully acclimated to the warmer temperatures, compared with Siberia, reindeer need to stay cool and hydrated in the summer. The terrain is rocky so the reindeer can keep their hoofs clean, and the habitat is covered in moss and lichen, which are more nutritious for the animals than grass.

In summer, the reindeer's coats are lighter, and their fur turns a deep chocolate brown with a bright white beard and chest.

The reindeer's favorite season really is Christmastime, Rittler said. But it has nothing to do with the religious or secular celebrations of late December.

It's all about apples, which are offered aplenty by holiday visitors to the zoo.

When "Ho, ho, ho" is yelled, the Cougar Mountain reindeer know what's in store. They are trained to come trotting, tails and noses raised, expecting apple slices and other zoo-approved treats.

Marisa Willis: mwillis@seattletims.com or 206-464-2050