Stone Zoo Welcomes Baby Reindeer

Last Sunday, April 27, the Stone Zoo, located in Stoneham, welcomed a new addition to its reindeer population when one of the zoo’s females, Holly, gave birth to the zoo’s first reindeer calf.  Weighing in at 15 pounds at birth, he has been on exhibit with his mother since shortly after his birth.

Reindeer generally give birth in May or June of each year, after a gestation period lasting seven or eight months.  Usually there is one calf; twin reindeer are extremely rare, although there have been instances of multiple births.  Newborns generally are able to walk very quickly after birth, normally in about one hour, and it is estimated that they can weigh 90 pounds by the time they reach four months.

Stone Zoo’s calf is reportedly very healthy.  According to a release from the zoo, John Linehan, President and CEO of Zoo England, described his expected reactions to the birth, saying “Visitors are going to take great delight in watching this baby grow up.”

But the baby reindeer is not the zoo’s only new member.  On April 1, the zoo saw the birth of a new Dwarf Nigerian goat, named Lynn.  She is also on exhibit with her mother, in the farmyard area of the zoo.  Here, guests can interact with the mother goat and her kid, although the latter tends to be somewhat shy around people.

You can visit both these babies at Stone Zoo, part of Zoo New England.  The zoo is open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on weekends and major holidays.  The last entries to the zoo are one half hour before closing time.  Visit Stone Zoo’s website for more information.