Rare baby reindeer born in Britain goes on display just in time for Christmas

A farm has celebrated the rare birth of an adorable reindeer only weeks before Christmas – one of the only ones born in England since the ICE AGE.

Staff at Cotley Farm in Whimple, Devon, were amazed when one of its original pair of reindeer gave birth prematurely to a tiny baby.

But while the baby was not expected to survive beyond its first few weeks, she has now defied the odds – and will go on display this weekend for the first time since she was born in May.

The farm are also running a competition to give her a name.

Owner Helen Bowker said: ‘It was a bit of a surprise all round to be honest.

‘We hadn’t thought Spice was young enough to be in calf and she’d always been a bit tubby but we knew there was an outside chance.

‘However, she had shown no signs of labour in the morning and yet, one afternoon when my neighbour’s daughter was helping me feed the reindeer, I heard an excited squeal – and there she was: the tiniest calf you’ve ever seen.’

It’s believed that the last reindeer calf born in the West Country was welcomed in 2010 – with reindeer survival rates known for being notoriously low.

Describing the calf’s initial troubles, Helen said: ‘It turns out that the calf was born a little early and her mother, Spice, didn’t have any milk at first.

‘Even if she had, the baby reindeer was so small she couldn’t have reached the teats. So for the first 10 days of her life, I had to hand feed her with a bottle.

‘Luckily she grew quickly and was soon able to feed from her mother – which was a relief as reindeer milk is 20 per cent fat so is hard to substitute for a long period.

‘This just goes to show how vulnerable baby reindeer are in the first few weeks – and why it is so rare to have one survive.’

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The new baby will be on show at Cotley Christmas Tree Farm and Shop from November 26 until Christmas Eve – and visitors are invited to choose from a shortlist of names suggested by local children.

The winner will receive their own personal introduction to the baby on December 21, alongside a festive prize.

It’s the adorable, seasonal boost that we needed.