There’s holiday fun at the zoo

Reindeer in Griffith Park? Yes, the antlered ones are back at the Los Angeles Zoo for their annual holiday season residency. Four reindeer -- Belle, Jingle, Noel and Velvet -- arrived at the end of November and will remain through Jan. 4 in a festive corral just inside the park’s entrance.

Because L.A.’s warm weather doesn’t suit Santa’s favorite ungulates year-round, the reindeer are in town only for the holidays. They live on a reindeer ranch in Oregon the rest of the year.

For that same reason, now might be the best time for animal buffs to visit the Southland’s zoos and aquariums.

Jeff Holland, curator of mammals at the L.A. Zoo, says the animals are more active when the temperature goes down. “You’ll see the animals out and about, many of them more playful, interacting with items in their exhibits.”

Best of all, the crowds and long lines of summer are mostly gone, and many area zoos have special events.

At the L.A. Zoo, weekends feature a holiday crafts table for children, photos with Santa and live music. In Adventure Theater in the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, an interactive kids’ program called “The Little Polar Bear” runs twice a day through the end of December.

Head to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach this weekend and you can see the seal, sea lion and otter habitats turned into a winter wonderland complete with snow, snowmen and ice sculpture. The animals will be getting special holiday treats, including frozen “fishsicles,” and Sparky the shark, the aquarium’s mascot for kids, will make appearances in full Santa regalia. The aquarium’s recently reopened Lorikeet Forest will feature a Christmas tree filled with goodies for the inquisitive birds.

Children’s activities are the focus of Holidays with the Critters at the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park on Saturday, with crafts, animal encounters and a visit from Santa.

The various holiday activities at Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla feature Santa’s Polar Science Lab, an interactive exhibit about life at the North and South poles. A Holiday Lights Celebration kicks off the season Wednesday.

San Diego Wild Animal Park’s Festival of Lights is bigger than ever this year. Beginning Dec. 12, the park stays open daily until 8 p.m. with a display of hundreds of light sculptures, along with live music and dancers, exotic animal encounters in Nairobi Village and nighttime rides on the Wgasa Bush Line Railway. Fresh snow is dumped daily on a hillside for sledding.

Christmas at the Orange County Zoo on Dec. 13 features storytelling by Mrs. Claus, crafts and face painting.

Steven Johnson can be contacted at steven.johnson@latimes.com.

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The holiday zoo

Reindeer Romp: Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Griffith Park, L.A., daily through Jan. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Dec. 25,

(323) 644-6400

Holiday Treats for the Animals: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.,

(562) 590-3100

Holidays With Critters: Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana. Sat. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., (714) 835-7484

Holiday Lights Celebration: Birch Aquarium at Scripps, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. Wed., 6-8 p.m., (858) 534-5771

Christmas at the Orange County Zoo: Orange County Zoo, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., (714) 973-6847

Festival of Lights: San Diego Wild Animal Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido; Dec. 12-23, Dec. 26-30, 4-8 p.m.,

(760) 747-8702