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Tiny Mouse Deer Born at English Zoo is 'the height of a pencil' — And Adorable
A tiny mouse deer has been born at Bristol Zoo in England, delighting many.
Social & Lifestyle
A husband and wife were taking in the sights at the Bristol Zoo Gardens when they came upon a tiny creature that stood about eight inches tall, had round dark button eyes, and delicate shell-pink pointed ears.
“Is that a mouse, dear?” asked the wife.
“No,” the husband answered, “it’s a mouse deer.”
While this conversation can’t be reported as verbatim, it could well have taken place because mother mouse deer Brienne and proud papa mouse deer Jorah welcomed a new addition to their family a little over a month ago.
Proving the adage that good things come in small packages, the bouncing baby lesser Malaysian mouse deer fawn is the height of a standard pencil.
It’s only the second of its species to be born at the Bristol Zoo in the past 10 years. (Its predecessor, a female named Missandei was sent to the Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands to participate in the breeding program there.)
Native to southeast Asia, mouse deer, also known as chevrotains, are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. While diminutive (fully grown, a lesser Malayan mouse deer will weigh only about three pounds), the Bambis are classed as even-toed ungulates, which puts them in the same category as pigs, sheep, giraffe, camels, and hippos.