Little Fawn, Pudu You Think You Are?!
A very small deer baby arrives just in time to celebrate Mother's Day
A southern pudu named Bosa at the Nashville Zoo wanted to get in on the Mother’s Day action so much that she gave birth to her first fawn on April 28th, giving herself enough time to recover and mark the occasion in style. And just in time for the zoo to make an unveiling announcement on the day celebrating motherhood. Oh my, that is one cute baby, Bosa! This is Bosa’s and dad Pacu’s first fawn, weighing in at 1.7 pounds, and also the zoo’s first pudu birth. Mom and baby are both doing well, Bosa proving to be an adept mom and fine role model for mothers everywhere. The male fawn is yet to be named.
Say now pudu, who do you think you’re foolin’? I have the earworm, so I share with you all…
Pudus are the smallest species of deer in the world, about 33 inches in length, about 16 inches tall and weighing about 15 pounds when fully grown. The southern pudu, slightly bigger than a northern pudu, is native to southern Chili and southwestern Argentina. These diminutive deer prefer rainforests and humid environments where they can stay hidden in undergrowth while they munch on lush vegetation. They are an important part of the ecosystem, making up about 50% of Chilean pumas’ diets, functioning as an important distributor of seeds and keeping overabundance of plants in check. They are listed on the IUCN Red List as near-threatened with a decreasing population due to habitat loss, competition pressures and potential disease transmission from invasive species and poaching.
There are only an estimated 10,000 wild southern pudus, therefore preservation is an important consideration in the care and ongoing survival of this species. Bacu’s new baby will stay with his mom until sexually mature, at 8-12 months. He’ll then be placed with a breeding partner, likely at another zoo, as part of the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Gif source video is included below.
At a pound and a half, he qualifies as a Pocket Pudu. Cute little guy.
A South American deer, huh? Gorgeous! I was watching the video and at some point the fawn's spots reminded me of a tapir, so maybe those spots are the fashion in South America among the young and adorable.