Named for the word “snow” in Finnish, Lumi the female Reindeer
calf was born on April 25 at Austria’s Vienna Zoo.  Only minutes after the 11-pound
(5 kg) calf was delivered by female Reindeer Helmi, Lumi stood up on her thin and wobbly
legs.

Photo Credits: Norbert Potensky

According to Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter, “Reindeer live in the barren expanses of
the Arctic tundra and taiga. Females and young animals have to move on a few days
after birth to seek new pastures with the herd.”

Vienna Zoo’s Reindeer
herd includes five adult females and one male named Hank.  With Lumi’s birth, Hank has become a father
for the fifth time.  Lumi is the second
calf born to Helmi.

Unlike other
members of the deer family, where only the males have antlers, both male and
female Reindeer have antlers.  Little
Lumi will begin to grow her antlers when she is about seven months old.

Reindeer are
widespread across extreme northern North America and Eurasia, but many herds
are shrinking in numbers, possibly due to climate change and habitat
disturbance.

See more photos of Lumi below the fold.