A helicopter airlifts deer in Heber City, Utah, on December 15, 2023 (Picture: Reuters)
Santa Claus’ flying reindeer appeared to soar through the sky ahead of Christmas.
The three deer, wrapped in red cloth and strung together while being airlifted by a helicopter, did not belong to Saint Nicholas, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
‘These aren’t Santa’s flying reindeer!’ wrote the government organization on Facebook on Tuesday.
‘Each winter, our biologists capture and place GPS collars on approximately 1,200 deer throughout the state.’
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The deer are taken to a staging area where the organization performs health assessments before freeing them back into the wild.
‘These important efforts help us monitor and learn about deer migration patterns,’ the organization explained.
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Deer are airlifted by helicopter around Christmastime every year in Utah.