>>
>> I
>> I LIKE
>> I LIKE THAT. >> IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A
FUN IDEA FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY,
CONSIDER GOING TO THE COUGAR
MOUNTAIN ZOO IN ISSAQUAH.
>> WE WERE THERE A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO.
WEEKS AGO. I PROMISED MY KIDS THAT WE
WOULD GO SEE THE KITTIES.
JAGER IT IS THEIR RIGHT NOW.
THOSE ARE NOT KITTIES.
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT THERE?
>> REPORTER: RIGHT HERE, WE
HAVE SOME OF THE SIBERIAN
REINDEER.
REINDEER.
REINDEER. WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE HERD OF
REINDEER HERE AT THE ZOO.
IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FROM
ANY ZOO IN THE COUNTRY.
IN THIS GROUP, WE HAVE SEVERAL
ADULT MALES.
ADULT MALES. WE ALSO HAVE SOME ADULT
FEMALES.
FEMALES.
FEMALES. AS WELL AS THREE BABIES JUST
BORN THIS YEAR.
THE NEAT THING ABOUT THESE IS
THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY DISEASE
OF DEER WHERE MALES AND FEMALES
HAVE ANTLERS.
HAVE ANTLERS. >> THAT IS INTERESTING.
THEY ALSO LOOK FURRY STILL.
DOES THAT MEAN THEY ARE NEW
ANTLERS?
ANTLERS?
ANTLERS? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. SO THIS IS ALL THIS YEAR'S NEW
ANTLER GROWTH.
ANTLER GROWTH. AT THE ANTLERS WILL START
GROWING IN SOMETIME AROUND
FEBRUARY.
FEBRUARY.
FEBRUARY. AT THE HEIGHT OF THE GROWING
SEASON, THEY CAN GROW ABOUT A
HALF INCH COME UP TO 1 INCH A
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. SO
DAY. SO THERE IS A VELVET COVERING
ON THE ANTLERS UNTIL THE
BREEDING SEASON STARTS.
THAT WILL EXPOSE THE BONE
UNDERNEATH.
UNDERNEATH. THAT IS ON THERE TO PROTECT THE
NEW GROWTH.
NEW GROWTH. IT HELPS PROTECT EVERYTHING
WHILE THEY ARE GROWING IN
THEIR.
THEIR.
THEIR. >>
THEIR. >> SO THE FEMALES HAVE
ANTLERS AS WELL.
IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT?
I KNOW WHY THE MEN HAVE THE
ANTLERS.
ANTLERS.
ANTLERS. >> REPORTER: SO THERE IS A BIG
GUY RIGHT OVER HERE LOOKING
RIGHT AT US.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MALES.
HIS ARE QUITE A BIT LARGER.
THE REASON WHY THEY HAVE SUCH
LARGE ANTLERS IS BECAUSE THEY
WILL USE THEM BASICALLY TO
ESTABLISH THE DOMINANCE WITHIN
THE HEARD.
THE HEARD. FIGHT FOR BREEDING RIGHTS AND
ALL OF THAT.
SO THEY WILL ACTUALLY LOSE
THEIR ANTLERS RIGHT AFTER THE
BREEDING SEASON IS OVER.
THE FEMALES WILL KEEP THE
ANTLERS UNTIL MARCH OR APRIL
AND THAT IS USUALLY AROUND THE
TIME THAT THE CALVES ARE BORN.
THEY WILL DIG AROUND TO FORAGE
FOR FOOD.
FOR FOOD.
FOR FOOD. ALSO EXTRA PROTECTION FOR THE
BABIES.
BABIES.
BABIES. THE NEAT THING ABOUT THE
BABIES, WITH THEIR ANTLERS, IS
THEY START GROWING THE ANTLERS
ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS OLD.
SO YOU CANNOT SEE THEM RIGHT
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. THEY HAVE SO MUCH AUX CAP UR
THEIR HEADS.
THEIR HEADS. IF YOU RUB YOUR FINGERS THROUGH
THE FUR, YOU CAN SEE THAT AND
THEY START GROWING OUT OF
NOWHERE.
NOWHERE.
NOWHERE. >> ISN'T THAT AMAZING.
IT FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS IN JULY
SEEING THESE GUYS.
IT IS ALWAYS A REASON TO COME
CELEBRATE.
CELEBRATE. LOOK AT THAT FACE.
>> REPORTER: ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE REINDEER ARE AT THE ZOO
YEAR-ROUND.
YEAR-ROUND. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, WE DO THE
ISSAQUAH REINDEER FESTIVAL
WHICH IS THE ZOO'S LARGEST
FUNDRAISER.
FUNDRAISER. WE ARE A NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. THAT EVENT HELPS ACT AS ONE OF
THE LARGEST FUNDRAISERS OF THE
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. IT
YEAR. IT IS A GREAT TIME TO CELEBRATE
THE HOLIDAYS AND GET A REALLY
GOOD LOOK AT THE REINDEER.
THAT IS WHEN THEY HAVE THE
THICK WINTER COAT.
YOU CAN SEE THE BONE ANTLERS
UNDERNEATH.
UNDERNEATH. IT IS A FUN TIME.
A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE THE
HOLIDAYS.
HOLIDAYS.
HOLIDAYS. A GREAT WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO
THE ZOO.
THE ZOO.
THE ZOO. >> WOW.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. DEAR ED, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
EDUCATING US ABOUT SO MANY
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. WE WILL TALK TO YOU SOON.
>>> I HAVE A FUN FACT.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE STRAWBERRY
MOON -- THE FULL MOON LAST
MONTH?
MONTH?
MONTH? >>
MONTH? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> NATIVE AMERICANS CALLED IT
THE STRAWBERRY MOON BECAUSE
THAT IS THE TIME ALL THE
STRAWBERRIES WERE RIPENING.
THE FULL MOON ON THE 27TH WAS
CALLED THE BUCCA MOON.
THAT IS BECAUSE THE NATIVE
AMERICANS KNEW THAT THAT WAS
WHEN THE ANTLERS WERE PRETTY
MUCH FULL-GROWN -- ON ALL THE
DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAT GROW
ANTLERS.
ANTLERS.
ANTLERS. >> I LOVE THAT FUN FACT.
>> IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH
MORE WE USED TO