Snow Melt

Reindeer in the News

December 12, 2012 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  by Brother Nature PROMPT: Write about an animal (fact or fiction) who makes it onto the national news. Emergency prompt: What's your take on 12/12/12, life, the universe, and everything.

"Breaking News!" Said Stacy Claws, a local redheaded news anchor. "A reindeer fawn has been born at the National Zoo, with an unusual affliction." She smiled into the camera, "It seems the fawn has a glowing red nose." She leaned back in her chair, seconds before a video of a female reindeer licked the afterbirth from a new born female fawn with a bright red nose.

The camera returned to Stacy, "The Curator of the Reindeer Exhibit, Ms Ester de Santa, said she is not quite sure what caused this affliction, but she suspects that it may be genetic and passed from the fawns father." She takes a deep breath, "According to Ms de Santa keepers found the herds only male dead at the beginning of the rutting season. They believe he was killed by another male reindeer and all the females impregnated. The problem is that they are not sure how the strange male got into the exhibit." The station goes to a commercial break.

"This just in," Stacy smiles sweetly into the camera. "According to a keeper, who wishes to remain anonymous, he witnessed a strange male reindeer, with a bright red nose, flying into the exhibit and challenging the herds' male. According to the statement, just received from the witness, the two males fought and the herds' male was killed. The strange male then proceeded to mount all the willing females. Once he had mounted all the females, the strange male, his nose still red but a little less bright, few out of the exhibit."

According to the keeper," Stacy could hardly keep from laughing, "the flying male reindeer, whom he dubbed Rudolf, did not have any wings. Therefore, the keeper is not sure how the creature flew." She glanced to her co-anchor, who just sit there with a polite smile on his face. "Apparently, two other reindeer fawns, one of which is male, have been born with red noses in the past two hours. Ms de Santa is watching the other pregnant females closely to see if their fawns have the same affliction."