Puffins / Reindeers / Lynx / Lion cubs / Gray wolf pups

Puffins on the birdisland Runde (It is famous for its enormous amount of birds. It is said that there are about 500,000 to 700,000 seabirds inhabiting the island, most of them are to be found in the cliffs.)

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as caribou in North America, is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, Subarctic, tundra, boreal and mountainous regions of northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. This includes both sedentary and migratory populations.

While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and at least one has already gone extinct.

The Lynx is a solitary, skilled hunter that haunts the remote northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. Lynx are covered with beautiful thick fur that keeps them warm during frigid winters. Their large paws are also furry and hit the ground with a spreading toe motion that makes them function as natural snowshoes. Lynx mate in early spring or late winter. About two months later, females give birth to litter of one to four young.

[inscription from the back side of postcard]

August 31, 2010, the National ZOO welcomed a litter of four lion cubs. This is the first litter for five-year-old Shera and the first surviving litter for four-year-old Luke. Through extensive planning, knowledge of the lion's natural history, and an understanding of the Zoo's lions, zookeepers successfully built a pride of lions over nearly two years. The birth of the lion cubs marks the next step in building a pride.
[for more information about the National Zoo, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu ;
inscription from the back side of postcard]

The breeding season of the gray wolf comes in late winter; in early spring, approximately 63 days after mating, five to seven pups are born. Their nursery is an underground burrow prepared by the female with the help of the male. The pups are blind and covered with soot-colored fur at birth, and soon learn to hunt and care for themselves by watching their parents.

[inscription from the back side of postcard]

Laura, thank you for these amazing cards!

Sent on: September 1, 2014

Received on: September 8, 2014