World’s Smallest Deer Born At Queens Zoo In New York City
The world’s smallest deer species welcomed a new fawn at the Queens Zoo in New York City. The pudu deer was born on May 12. The small white spots on the coat of the deer will fade as the juvenile ages, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The pudu deer was about 6 inches long and 6 inches tall at birth. The newest members of the world’s smallest deer species weighed only about 1 pound when it was born. Adult pudu deer reportedly reach about 12 to 14 inches at adulthood.
Queens Zoo now has one of the smallest deer in the world and it is the cutest thing ever http://t.co/tWoAlU54oq pic.twitter.com/koGH0f8ho2
— amNewYork (@amNewYork) June 9, 2015
The Queens Zoo is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society. The New York Zoo has successfully bred more than 60 pudus during the past three decades. The pudu deer conservation effort was accomplished via a partnership with the global Species Survival Program and other related organizations and facilities.
RT @StrangeAnimaIs The Pudu deer is the world’s smallest deer. They live in bamboo thickets to hide from predators. pic.twitter.com/mpGbMLDaYH
— Muhammad Azat (@Azatnimous) June 7, 2015
The pudu fawn is the third member of the species to be born at the NY zoo. The fawn will be nursing from its momma for a while, but will eventually enjoy a diet of leaves, grain, kale, carrots, and hay. In the wild, the world’s smallest deer species is found in Argentina and Chile. The pudu is known for its jumping prowess and the ability to hide in thick vegetation.
????BABY PUDU DEER ON ZOOBORNS???? pic.twitter.com/oZ0SaD8Ljc
— gauche simulator (@bumwees) June 6, 2015
World’s smallest species of deer, the #pudú, resides in #Chile! Fully grown by age 3months. #OleChilepic.twitter.com/wfNt3vz94K
— Wines of Chile (@DrinkChile) June 4, 2015
The world’s smallest deer species is also known to shy and solitary creatures. Pudus jumping skills and running in “winding patterns” ability is accredited to an inherent desire to outwit the sly fox, owls, and other predators the animals face in the wild. The pudu deer also “barks” when it senses danger.
Pudus have been classified as “vulnerable” on the endangered species list. The tiny deer species have reportedly lost a significant portion of their habitat in South America due to deforestation and hunting.
“The population is thought to be decreasing in the wild,” Queens Zoo Director Scott Silver said, “In order to conserve them we need to make people aware. Nothing motivates people’s concerns for animals like a baby pudu does.”
Pudu deer arrived in America in 1983. The Bronx Zoo had experienced 60 births from the world’s smallest deer species since that time. A pudu born at the Queens Zoo was relocated to the Bronx Zoo last year in order to pair and mate with a male as part of ongoing conservation efforts.
What do you think about the world’s smallest deer?
