Adorable Pudu Fawn Born at Queens Zoo
Posted on June 22, 2015
This adorable southern pudu fawn was born at the Queens Zoo on May 12. The Queens Zoo in New York is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The pudu is the smallest species of deer in the world. They only reach only 12 to 14 inches (30 to 35 cm) at the shoulder.
The pudu fawn is still nursing but will soon begin a diet of leaves, grain, kale, carrots and hay. The fawn has white spots now but this will fade as the fawn gets older. The WSC says pudu bark when they sense danger and run in zig-zag patterns to escape predators such as owls, foxes and pumas.
The WSC says pudu are excellent jumpers and sprinters but they are shy and prefer to hide in thick vegetation. The southern pudu are native to Chile and Argentina. This video shows a new pudu at Queens Zoo in 2010. Take a look: