Britain’s loneliest reindeer is “glowing like Rudolph” after finding a mate in time for Christmas.
Owner Suzie Wright said it was love at first sight for 4-year-old Sven and 3-year-old Daisy when they were first introduced.
She had launched a desperate bid to find him a friend when his previous stable-mate Klaus died in September after a short illness, leaving him heartbroken.
Suzie, 40, feared Sven, a natural herd animal, might die from loneliness if was left on his own.
But she managed to raise £4,000 from generous donors to ship Daisy 300 miles to Sven’s cozy barn at Little Haven Farm in Hull, East Yorks.
And she said the love-struck pair have since become inseparable, sharing food and cuddling up together during the cold winter nights.
Suzie said: “Sven has calmed down a lot since she came. He’s like a different reindeer. He’s really chilled out.
“He’s just really happy, and he’s got a bit of a glow about him. I would say it was love at first sight.
“I’d said: ‘All I want for Christmas is a new reindeer for Sven’, and I got what I asked for.”
Suzie bought Sven and his pal Klaus together in October 2020, and the pair helped local school kids feel the festive spirit during the pandemic.
Over the next three years, the two males lived together happily almost all year round.
But Suzie said that Sven, who acts ‘like a dog’ on her 15-acre estate, was left feeling anxious when Klaus suddenly died on September 11 this year.
And she knew that she’d have to find another reindeer soon to join him or his life might be in danger.
Suzie explained: “He’s a herd animal, and they become very, very lonely – and can die from loneliness.
“They need to be with others as they can’t survive on their own for long periods. They might see people, but it’s not the same as mixing with their own kind.”
Suzie put out a plea for donations to raise the £4,000 needed to ship a new female reindeer from Dorset to her not-for-profit petting farm in Hull.
And after hitting her funding target, she rushed to bring Daisy back to her new home where the pair have become close mates ever since.
Suzie now hopes she’ll hear the patter of tiny hooves in the not-too-distant future.
She said: “We put her in one pen and brought him into another one, and she almost broke the fence down to get to him. She was having absolutely none of it.
“They were literally together from that day onwards, it’s been amazing. Sven will share his food with her now, which is cute, and they get on really well.
“When they first met, they would sleep on opposite sides to each other, but now they sleep in the corner together – they are really sweet.”
“I’m hoping for a baby reindeer, that would be the most amazing end to the story, especially following the loss of Klaus. That would just be the perfect ending.”
“But every day, when I get into the barn, it’s just lovely to see them together. He’s so much happier, and it’s the best feeling in the world”
Suzie closed her farm during November before opening it again on Saturday (Dec 2), where visitors got to see the two reindeer together for the first time.
And she thanked those who had given money to help them unite.
She said: “We absolutely couldn’t have done it without the generous support of the people who donated.
“There is just no way we could have done it. So we’re massively appreciative.”
Suzie is still collecting money to help with her animal sanctuary’s costs this winter.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
