This is not the kind of baby reindeer you see on Netflix, but instead real, live baby reindeer at the Cal Academy of Sciences through December 5, and the museum is also bringing in baby camels and baby yaks for their ‘Tis the Season for Science’ exhibit.
After this year’s sleeper success of the Netflix show Baby Reindeer, there was bound to be some public interest in real-life actual baby reindeer. The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park has jumped on that bandwagon (sleigh?) with their new holiday exhibit 'Tis the Season for Science,' which runs through January 5, but will have two live baby reindeer onsite through December 5.
The exhibit opened Friday night, and of course SFist was intrigued enough to go check out the baby reindeer.
Okay, they are not exactly “baby” reindeer, they are seven months old. Though that makes sense, as reindeer have an annual mating season where the infants are born in the late spring and early summer months. So this is how old an infant reindeer is going to be once the holidays roll around.
Additionally, the California Academy of Sciences notes that "Reindeer are generally weaned, or stop drinking their mother’s milk, around six months.” So this was about the earliest developmentally appropriate time to take the reindeer away from their mother at the Windswept Ranch in Rosamond, California.
Again, the reindeer are only here for about two weeks, but will be replaced with other holiday-themed baby animals. “Pairs of baby reindeer, camels, and yaks will take up temporary residence in the East Garden during 'Tis the Season for Science,” the Academy website says. The reindeer are here through December 5, then it’s baby camels from December 6–19, and baby yaks from December 20–January 5.
And, as they've done in the past, there are also some glorious artificial snowfalls in the piazza twice an hour to winter-wonderland the place up. According to the Academy, the snowflakes are “non-allergenic, biodegradable, non-toxic, and non-staining.”
We will note that last week Mission Local reported that the California Academy of Sciences cut a youth program over a unionization dispute. So we would understand if you were to humbug their holiday program. But if you want to get near and dear to some baby reindeer, the museum is open seven days a week, including Thanksgiving Day from 10 am - 3 pm.
'Tis the Season for Science is at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park at 55 Music Concourse Drive. Tickets and hours here
Related: Please Enjoy These Photos of Baby Goats From Goat Fest 2019 [SFist]
Top image: California Academy of Sciences
