Meet Bristol Zoo’s latest arrival! Adorable mouse deer the same size as a PENCIL is so tiny it will only weigh three pounds once fully grown
- The tiny creature was born last month, but is proving rather shy
- It has deceivingly long legs but is actually only 20cm (8 inches) tall
- Mouse deer are distantly related to deer and feed on flowers and vegetable matter, roaming the forests in their native South East Asia
An adorable Malayan mouse deer that’s the same height as a pencil has been born at Bristol Zoo.
The tiny creature has deceivingly long legs, but stands at just 20cm (eight inches) tall to its shoulder.
And it won’t get much bigger – experts predict that even when it is fully grown, the infant will weigh just 1.5kg (around 3lbs).
Its gender remains unclear and it is yet to be named, but it is only the second to be born at the zoo in the past decade.
The tiny creature has deceivingly long legs, but stands at just 20cm (eight inches) tall to its shoulder
Mouse deer are distantly related to deer and feed on flowers and vegetable matter, roaming the forests in their native South East Asia.
The infant was born to first-time mother Brienne and father Jorah almost a month ago, but is proving rather shy.
Paige Bwye, senior mammal keeper said: ‘Brienne is being a fantastic first-time mother and has been very attentive to her infant.
It won’t get much bigger – experts predict that even when it is fully grown, the infant will weigh just 1.5kg (around 3lbs)
‘It will be a little while until we are able to determine the gender of the fawn as they’re so small and quite shy.
‘It’s doing really well though, and has recently started to discover new tastes, such as sweet potato.
‘They are absolutely fascinating to watch. They move around on their pencil-thin legs and munch on flowers and vegetables.’
The infant is only the second to be born at the zoo in the past decade, following the birth of a female named Missandei in 2020
The infant is only the second to be born at the zoo in the past decade, following the birth of a female named Missandei in 2020.
Bristol Zoo posted a video of the tiny mouse deer on Twitter, much to the delight of eager viewers.
One user commented: ‘Adorable. Never knew this animal existed! How can something so tiny survive in the wild?’
Another added: ‘Ah so cute’, while one joked: ‘The same height as a pencil!’
WHAT IS THE LESSER MALAYAN MOUSE DEER?
Standing only about 12 inches high at the shoulder, the chevrotain or mouse-deer is one of the smallest of all hoofed animals.
Moving on pencil-thin legs, this little animal is a timid forest-dweller, feeding on flowers, fruits, vegetable matter and young leaves.
There are four species in this family; three live in Asia and one in Africa.
The males have long upper canine teeth which protrude like fangs below the lips.
Neither sex has horns or antlers.
In Malay folklore the chevrotain is credited with great cunning (for how else could they evade the many different predators who hunt they?).
Source: Young People’s Trust for the Environment
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