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Endangered animal born at Bristol Zoo Project
Bristol Zoo Project has welcomed a newborn. The animal which is classified as endangered in the wild, is the same height as a cereal box or a piece of A4 paper
The extremely rare and tiny Philippine Spotted Deer has made its first public appearance at Bristol Zoo Project, to the delight of staff and visitors.
The new arrival, which is yet to be named and currently just 30cm tall.
is needed now More than ever
The male, which keepers say is healthy and feeding well, has been born to first time parents Eugene and Pandora.
The Philippine Spotted Deer with mum Pandora
There are thought to be fewer than 700 Philippine spotted deer left in the wild. Parents Pandora and Eugene arrived at the zoo in June 2023 from separate zoos – Colchester and Chester.
They were brought together as part of a breeding recommendation for the endangered species, and it was hoped they would successfully breed, helping to safeguard its future.
The fawn coyly hides behind its mother, daring only to poke its head out to glance at the new world
Will Walker, curator of mammals at Bristol Zoo Project, said: “Any new arrival here at the zoo is special, but when it’s a species that is so threatened in the wild, it makes this moment even more important.
“Eugene and Pandora have been with us for almost two years now and this is their first fawn. They are both settling into parenthood and the baby is healthy and suckling.
“He may be tiny, but the fawn has an important role to play in the future of his species in the Philippines, where we have been working with local communities since 2014.
Together with our partners, we aim to reduce illegal hunting and protect the remaining forests of Panay and Negros Islands and the wildlife within them.
“With so few of these deer left in the wild, we hope our visitors who come to see the fawn will be inspired to join us on our journey to save wildlife together.”
The deer has received a full health check and is healthy
The zoo is also asking for the public’s help in naming the fawn, which is just over a week old. The team has come up with a shortlist of three names, which all reflect Bristol Zoological Society’s charitable conservation work in the Philippines. People can vote for their favourite name on its Facebook page.
The names are:
- Laserna – the name of a community that the charity works with in the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park.
- Maliit, which translates to “little” in Filipino.
- Bulahan, which means “blessed” in Bisaya dialect, which is used on most Visayas Islands.
All photos: Bristol Zoological Society
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