Wells Family in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Raises Reindeer, Santa's Little Helpers

For the majority of us we have to wait until Christmas Eve to catch even the smallest glimpse of Santa's "Little Helpers" (a.k.a. 'reindeer'). Children will stay up for endless hours watching the skies in hopes of seeing them glide through the air as Santa shouts commands. For one local family it's as simple as walking out their backdoor.

The family of Jane and Earl Wells has been raising reindeer for the past 20 years. Together they have raised a total of 20 reindeer over the years. The last 15 years of which has been on their 60-acre estate in Allen County. The reindeer share the acreage with 22 llamas, but there has never been any territorial problem. They currently have four reindeer named Snowflake, Becka, Tika and Gloria. All are female and range in age from six to eight years old. Since the Wells' have decided not to continue mating them, they no longer have any males in the bunch. Many of the original 20 have been given to zoos and friends throughout the country. Most of them are identical with the exception of 'Snowflake' whose antlers are almost completely white.

A firm, "Hey, reindeer!" from Jane is all it takes to get them running towards us. Being that they've all been born and raised in captivity they are completely docile animals. They followed us around the yard for most of the interview. Curious and friendly. When they weren't following us, they would stop and graze on leafs and wild grass around the land.

During the Christmas season, Jane takes two of the reindeer to the Foellinger Botanical Gardens on the first three Saturdays of December where children can spend time taking pictures and telling Santa what they want for Christmas. Jane assures me that safety hasn't been overlooked. The reindeer are always kept in a locked-up pen and kids can pet them only if the reindeer come up to them at the fence. Jane also takes the reindeer to local schools on occasion.

The Wells' began raising reindeer when Earl Wells was the Director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. In fact, he was the very first director and held the title for 30 years. He had always had a great love of reindeer but was unable to keep reindeer at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo because they are extremely prone to parasites. He and Jane then decided to give raising them on their own a try with the help of a new anti-parasitical drug. Needless to say, they have been quite successful. The reindeer were acquired through completely legal means and require no special permits to own.

If you'd like to meet Jane Wells and a couple of her reindeer, they will be at the Foellinger Botanical Gardens in Fort Wayne December 1, 8 and 15. You can find more info on this event by going to www.botanicalconservatory.org