The Sitka Black-tailed deer are the friendliest animals at AWCC!

Sitka black-tailed deer are a diminutive coastal subspecies of the mule deer that is common throughout western North America. Rocky Mountain mule deer currently range as far north as the Yukon Territory of Canada, though there are occasional reports of mule deer in eastern interior Alaska. Deer have two types of coats. The summer coat is reddish, and the hair is solid. Surprisingly, there is more hair on the summer coat than the winter one. This extra hair protects against biting insects. A deer’s winter coat is gray/brown and the hairs are hollow, providing increased insulation. Deer, like many ungulates, have four-chambered stomachs. This digestive system allows deer to eat a lot of food quickly and then chew and digest it later when they are less exposed to danger from predators.

Solstice, Miles, Gram, and Tai were all born at AWCC. Solstice was born on June 21st (summer Solstice), while Miles and Gram were named after the nearby Twenty Mile River and Ingram Creek. Rain was orphaned and found near Sitka. Rain is short for Rainbow Lattice Sunstone, keeping with the AWCC naming theme in 2021 of rocks and minerals.