Almond Valley's Ivy the reindeer left lopsided after losing antler in high winds
dailyrecord.co.ukA reindeer at Almond Valley Heritage Centre has been left lopsided after losing one of her antlers in last week’s high winds.Adult female reindeer Ivy shed one of her antlers during Storm Eunice last Friday.She has been a popular addition to the visitor attraction since Almond Valley bought her almost two years ago.She’s been left lopsided since one of her antlers fell off during Storm Eunice, but this is no cause for alarm to the farm manager, Craig Holmes, who explains the shedding process.He said: “Ivy was one of the original two reindeer we bought almost two years ago now - and she’s grown so much since then.“Every year reindeers drop their antlers and it’s completely normal - females drop them in the Spring and males drop them after the mating season in November.“They need healthy, strong antlers to forage for food in the snow - so once a year the velvet on their antlers will shed, exposing the bone of the antler which leads to them dropping off naturally.“Once Ivy’s other antler drops she’ll start to grow back a new healthier and stronger set - their antlers actually get progressively bigger each year until they’re five years old.”Ivy is the first of the two reindeers at Almond Valley to drop one of her antlers, her younger companion Eve is still holding on to her set - hopefully this doesn’t affect Ivy’s ability to join in on any reindeer games. Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier.
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