Adorable new deer fawns born at Whipsnade Zoo near St Albans
Mother and fawn Père David’s deer at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Credit: ZSL - Credit: Archant
Extinct in the wild, the Père David’s deer has given birth to four fawns at Whipsnade Zoo near to St Albans, providing hope for their future conservation.
Four of the rare Pere David's deer fawns at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Credit: Tony Margiocchi - Credit: Archant
The tiny Père David’s fawns have been warmly welcomed into their paddock by the herd and their keepers.
All four have assimilated perfectly, despite one being underweight at birth, bonding in ‘crèches’ with adult females.
They can be seen in the 80-acre ‘Passage through Asia’ drive-through exhibit at Whipsnade Zoo.
In the wild, the Père David’s deer commonly inhabit the grasslands of China, but were declared extinct in the wild in 2008 on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Newborn Père David’s deer stands with its mother at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Credit: ZSL - Credit: Archant
Zookeeper Graeme Williamson said: “The birth of an animal which is classified as extinct in the wild is clearly a special occasion.
“The fawn is doing really well and making the exact progress we would expect; she is quite literally coming on leaps and bounds and running around with the rest of the herd in their huge paddock.”
Père David’s deer fawn, a species that is extinct in the wild, at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Credit: ZSL - Credit: Archant
Two of the young Père David’s deer in ZSL. Credit: ZSL - Credit: Archant
