MEET THE HERD: RASPBERRY
“Meet the Herd” is is going to be an ongoing series here on the blog for The Reindeer Farm. For each post, I’ll be highlighting interesting stories about some of the animals on the farm. The first reindeer we’re going to highlight is Raspberry, what a great name for a reindeer, right? Wait until you hear her story.
Raspberry IS a great name, especially for a reindeer born at the Alaska Wild Berry Park in Anchorage Alaska. You see occasionally animals are long term leased to businesses as a way to educate and inform people about them. Raspberry’s mom Hungry (another great name-I bet it has a great back story too!) was on a long term lease to the Alaska Wild Berry Park when she gave birth to a baby girl. Alaska Wild Berry got to name her and they chose Raspberry, such a cute name!
Raspberry lived happily at the park for the rest of the summer and then came home. Through the years more reindeer went on lease to Alaska Wild Berry and finally it was Raspberry’s turn to go back, so off she went. She was quite happy in her new digs, being the center of attention was perfect for her. Except for one day she got a little TOO much attention from some neighborhood dogs.
They attacked Raspberry and her pen mate one day and instead of staying around to be harassed they broke out of their pen to escape the dogs. Raspberry took off right down the Old Seward Highway in Anchorage to outrun them. Which she did, thankfully. But now she was loose on a busy highway in a big city. When she finally slowed down the Anchorage Police Department showed up and began herding her back towards her pen mate. And then herding both of them back to Alaska Wild Berry Park. The owners of the dogs were contacted and the dogs customarily contained.
And sweet Raspberry? Well, she was a little shook up by her big ordeal but once she came back to the farm, and especially the family that loved her, she recovered quite well. And is a very happy and well-adjusted reindeer.