World’s Smallest Deer Species Set to Win Hearts at New York Zoo

A southern pudu fawn, one of the world’s smallest deer species, is making a debut at the Queens Zoo in New York and is sure to win the hearts of those who visit.

The fawn was born on June 21 at roughly two pounds, according to a Thursday press release from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which manages the Queens Zoo. The fawn will only weigh up to 15 to 20 pounds and stand 14 to 17 inches tall when fully grown. The WCS did not say the sex or name of the fawn.

The fawn can be seen with its parents in its habitat at the Queen Zoo’s Wild Side.

The southern pudu is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. As part of an effort with other zoos and aquariums to maintain genetically diverse populations of hundreds of species, the Queens Zoo breeds southern pudu, according to the WCS. A total of eight fawns have been born at the Queens Zoo since it established its pudu breeding program in 2005, the WCS said.

Southern pudu naturally populates in the forests and scrublands of Chile and Argentina. Its population, however, is decreasing due to human development and recreational activities, agriculture, invasive species and diseases, according to the WCS.

If you are visiting the new fawn, you can also see other animals of the Americas like an Andean bear, puma and Roosevelt elk at the Queens Zoo Wild Side.

In June, three 5-month-old Andean bear cubs, two males and one female, debuted at the zoo. The birth of the cubs, which happened back in January, was a rare occurrence since Andean bears typically only have one or two cubs at a time.

The Queens Zoo is open every day of the year, but hours can vary. From April through October, the zoo is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time and on weekends, it stays open for an extra 30 minutes. From November through April, the zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It costs $5 for children 3 to 12 years old to visit the Queen Zoo, and children under 3 years old can go for free. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for seniors 65 years and older.

For those that live in Brooklyn, New York, there are also two southern pudus at the Prospect Park Zoo. The pudus at Prospect Park Zoo—one female and one male—made their debut this year when the zoo reopened in May after being closed for eight months due to storm damage.