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Whether you believe in Santa or not, there’s something magical about seeing a reindeer in person. Getting to pat one is even more special — and getting to kiss one? Well, that’s just pretty amazing.
Now, I’m not saying everyone should rush out and try to kiss a moose or something, I’m just saying, reindeer are magical animals for some reason, whether it’s because of folklore or just because they’re not something you see every day. Down at Reindeer Express in Reardan, however, not only do they see reindeer every day, they raise them as part of an effort to save the species.
Reindeer Express owners Ed & Sonya Benhardt have a love for animals and a strong desire to preserve them so that their grandchildren will have the opportunity to experience them. They also breed wallabies and some rare birds for that reason. But their main focus is reindeer.
Reindeer, of course, are not normally approachable by humans. But in the case of Humphrey, his mother was missing a hormone called oxytocin and was unable to produce milk, so the Benhardts took him into their home to bottle feed him. Interestingly, Humphrey is the same age as Megan, a female I met, but he is smaller, most likely due to not receiving the special nutrients available in a mother’s milk. The upside is, Humphrey is very used to humans and welcomes a pat — and in my case, even a kiss.
