Edinburgh Zoo has unveiled the first images of a charming two-week-old Southern pudu fawn, the second smallest deer species globally. Born to first-time parents Violetta and Evan, the tiny female fawn is thriving and has been named Gia by the zookeepers of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Native to the lush forests of Chile and Argentina, pudus are renowned as the smallest members of the deer family. Fully grown, the larger southern pudu stands a mere 17.7 inches (55cm) tall. With a stout physique and antlers that curve upwards and back, they possess a distinctive appearance, somewhat reminiscent of a diminutive goat.
Edinburgh Zoo’s latest addition weighed approximately 1.2 pounds (630g) at birth—less than the weight of a standard loaf of bread. While Gia won’t be on public display for the first few weeks of her life, visitors can anticipate meeting her starting in July, under the attentive care of her mother, Violetta.