BLOOMINGTON —There may not be snow on the ground, but it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Miller Park Zoo on Saturday as families — many dressed in red and green — lined up to get their picture taken with Ealu, one of the zoo’s two reindeer.

“I thought it would be a cool thing to do,” said Michelle Hutchins of Bloomington, who had her picture taken with her husband, Scott, and 5-year-old son, Zach. The Hutchinses plan to use the photo for their Christmas cards.

Keeping Ealu on the ground for the photos may have been a challenge for zookeeper Carol Pagluica. The 5-year-old reindeer has qualified for Santa’s flying crew for the past three years. (To qualify, Ealu must complete a series of exercises; see the GO! box for upcoming times.)

Although no one knows for sure whether Ealu has flown with Santa, retired Zoo Superintendent John Tobias said he received a call last year on Christmas Eve that one of the reindeer was missing. When he checked, said Tobias, Ealu was missing, but was back on Christmas Day looking very tired.

While he was having his photo taken, Zach Hutchins said Ealu “put her foot up a little,” and Pagluica held Ealu down to keep her from flying off.

Seven-year-old Hannah Baldwin of Normal, who had her picture taken with her brothers, Hunter, 4, and Holden, 18 months, said she wasn’t concerned Ealu would fly off, noting reindeer need to wear magic bells to fly.

Ealu will be trying out for Santa’s team again this year, but Susie Ohley, the zoo society’s community development advocate, said zoo officials are concerned about whether she will make it this year. “Santa is getting more demanding,” she said.

Even if she doesn’t make it, Ealu, whose name means “reindeer” in the Lapland Sami language, still will be famous. Her droppings have been made into jewelry, which will be sold in the zoo’s gift shop beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Snapshot time

What: Family Holiday Pictures with Reindeer

When: 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 29; reservations recommended

Cost: $15 per family for a CD of about three photos while you wait

Additional program: “Can Reindeer Fly?”: A program on helping the reindeer do exercises to get them prepped for flying, at 2 p.m.  Dec. 6, 13 and 20.