What happened to this local resident is still hard to explain. Wild reindeer hardly ever stepped into suburban areas, so coming across one of these gigantic wild creatures is rare enough.
But this encounter took things a big step further. Because what this reindeer chose to do to this man changed his life forever. “My body is still shaking,” he later told local media.
Andrew took the same path home daily, a quiet half-mile stretch between his workplace and the suburban edge of town where he lived. Here, the road hugged a narrow strip of forest on one side, and a few houses scattered on the other.
Seeing reindeer wasn’t unheard of here. Locals snapped photos when they wandered into clearings or grazed at a distance. But these animals usually stayed deep in the woods, away from people.
Andrew had only ever seen one on camera and never in person. So when a large male reindeer suddenly stepped out of the forest and onto the road, it stopped him in his tracks.
The animal was massive, with thick muscles under its coat and antlers like a crown of branches. Andrew froze. The reindeer’s dark eyes met his, unblinking. For a moment, neither of them moved.
With a pounding heart, Andrew slowly bent his knees and sat cross-legged on the cold asphalt. His palms rested on his thighs as he kept his head low and tried not to make eye contact.
This was no longer just passing wildlife. This felt… intentional. The reindeer wasn’t just crossing the street. It wasn’t ignoring him at all. It was walking toward Andrew without stopping.
Andrew sat on the cold asphalt, praying for the animal to leave. But as he did so, time seemed to stretch for eternity. Each second felt like a full minute, and things weren’t about to get any better.
The sound of hooves stopped, and dead silence followed. Andrew didn’t know how close the reindeer was now, but he guessed it couldn’t be more than a few feet away.
Andrew knew he couldn’t sit there blind forever. So, slowly, he peeled his eyes open, expecting a pair of antlers pointed toward him. And there it was. The reindeer’s enormous snout hovered just inches from his nose.
The reindeer didn’t paw at the ground or shake its head. It didn’t grunt or sniff the air. It just stood there as if waiting. Andrew didn’t dare move a muscle.
His eyes flicked to the antlers, which looked rough and dangerous. One swipe, and he’d be unconscious. But the creature didn’t seem aggressive. If anything, it looked… uncertain. Hesitant. Like it was watching for a sign.
He turned his palm toward the snout of the massive animal and whispered, “Easy…” The reindeer flinched at the movement, its eyes following Andrew’s fingers—but it didn’t back away.
The moment Andrew’s fingers touched the snout, the animal shuddered. Not violently, but like a tremor had run through it. Its eyes widened, and for a second, it stepped back.
Still, Andrew kept his hand in place, his fingers brushing the thick fur and smooth bridge of its nose. “What is it, buddy?” he said softly. It was like a miracle.
Andrew noticed the sadness in the reindeer’s eyes, almost like some kind of longing. Its breath had softened significantly at this point, and the animal’s body had stopped twitching. Andrew felt it deep in his chest as well—a strange, aching connection.
Andrew rested a hand on the animal’s shoulder. It felt warm, and Andrew could feel the reindeer’s heartbeat through its skin. It was a surreal moment—like standing beside a wild forest spirit.
Andrew gave the animal a soft pat along the side, and it blinked slowly as if comforted. No words passed between them, but they didn’t need to. There was understanding here—unspoken and complete.
Without warning, the reindeer darted toward the forest’s edge where it first appeared. It crossed the street in just a few leaps, stopping at the forest line. There, it turned and faced Andew with a lowered head.
Andrew crossed over into the forest, where trees quickly swallowed the light above, turning the air dim and quiet. The reindeer walked ahead, pausing every few yards to glance back, making sure Andrew followed.
The deeper they went, the stronger the smell became. It was like old motor oil and rotting wood, combined with the smell of a thousand roaring car exhausts. The reindeer didn’t seem bothered.
And after walking along another 50 or so meters it responded. The reindeer stopped and let out a long, low moan. It was the saddest sound Andrew had ever heard. It echoed through the trees like grief itself. Something in Andrew’s chest tightened.
When he reached the reindeer, it became clear who was also sharing their forest space.
Andrew squinted, stepped back, and closed his eyes quickly, just like he did the first time he met his reindeer companion. And when he opened his eyes this time, he again was left speechless.
His reindeer friend had intervened and was forming a blockade between him and the approaching herd. She then walked around him, making loud noises, and that apparently told the group something.
Because moments later, the other reindeer calmed down and walked up to Andrew calmly. They pressed their stouts against his chest, just like his buddy had before. They had accepted him for some reason.
But even though they did not speak the same language, the large Reindeer still seemed to understand Andrew’s words. He huffed and puffed and then guided Andrew away from the group and up a narrow path on the cliffside.
