QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – A member of one of the world’s smallest deer species was born at the Queens Zoo, officials announced on Thursday.
A southern pudu fawn was born on June 21 at about two pounds. It lives with its parents in a habitat on Queens Zoo’s Wild Side.
A southern pudu can weigh up to 15 to 20 pounds and stand 14 to 17 inches tall when fully grown, according to zoo officials. It’s normally found in forests and scrubland across Chile and Argentina.
It’s listed as a near-threatened species of deer by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Queens Zoo breeds southern pudu to help maintain populations as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
You can visit the zoo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends.