Do reindeer really play games?
A. Reindeer play but not real games. They start when they’re young. They chase each other. They jump up and down. They do things called “mutual threat displays.” That means they scowl and shake fists at each other. Except they don’t have fists. No, they don’t play games with scores or uniforms or Yukon Cornelius driving them to practice in a minivan. He drives a dog sled anyway. But reindeer play has a serious purpose. It lets them practice things they’ll need to know how to do when they’re grown-ups. Like warning the herd of danger. Getting away from danger (such as a wolf). And fighting to not get eaten or win a mate. How, in fact, does a reindeer warn of danger? It jumps in the air — what scientists call an “excitation leap” — and then runs away. All of the other reindeer see the leap, see the running, and take off running, too. Provided they learned the drill as calves. Know what that reindeer, the eagle-eyed spotter of danger, does first of all before leaping? A book called Mammal
