No, these aren’t reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh in a strange and admittedly awkward way. These deer are being transported via helicopter to a care facility in Utah, all to ensure the population health of the state’s animal inhabitants. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details.
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00:00No, these aren't reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh in a strange and admittedly awkward way.
00:04Quite the opposite.
00:05These deer are being transported via helicopter to a care facility in Utah,
00:09all to ensure the population health of the state's animal inhabitants.
00:13This is all part of an annual wellness check being conducted by Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources.
00:19They relocate some 1,200 deer every year for health checks,
00:22as well as fitting them with GPS monitors.
00:24But why?
00:25Well, they want to make sure the animals have been able to build up enough fat to survive the winter.
00:29These concerns are born of increasing urbanization in areas once reserved for wildlife.
00:34This can inhibit local mule deer populations from finding enough grazing areas,
00:38and thus prevent them from building those fat deposits.
00:40The creatures are also prone to several diseases,
00:43with predators and wildfires being a constant concern as well.
00:46It's a good thing Utah's local wildlife division is doing their part,
00:50and it's no doubt an exciting, albeit wild, ride for Santa's native helpers.