According to the legend, every year, Santa Claus rides a sleigh to deliver gifts to children. However, Santa Claus doesn't use horses to pull the sleigh, but reindeer. Do you know why he uses reindeer to pull the sleigh?
Originally, the legendary Santa Claus lives in the Arctic, where there is a special kind of deer - reindeer. Both male and female reindeer have horns, which are branched and complex, sometimes with more than 30 branches. Their hooves are wide and well-developed, making them adept at walking. Reindeer are about 1.8 meters long and weigh 100 kilograms. Male reindeer are slightly larger, weighing up to 180 kilograms. They are widely distributed in the cold regions around the Arctic, and in China, they are only found in the northwestern part of the Greater Khingan Range.
Reindeer are one of the most familiar domestic animals to residents around the Arctic. They are gentle and easy to tame, and can easily traverse snowfields, swamps, and forests that are difficult for horses to navigate. Therefore, Santa Claus chooses reindeer to pull his sleigh. In China, reindeer are also an indispensable means of transportation and livestock for the Evenki people, known as the "ships of the forest". They are used to carry hunting prey, transport goods during relocation, and provide rides for women and children. Nowadays, they have become a major attraction for tourists.