One of the world’s tiniest antelopes has been born at Chester Zoo, and she’s barely taller than a tin of baked beans.
The little Kirk’s dik-dik fawn – who zookeepers have decided to name Dotty – was born weighing just a few hundred grams, and even when she’s fully grown, she won’t be a great deal bigger either, as it’s predicted she’ll reach just 40cm tall, making her one of the smallest antelopes on the planet.
Dotty was born back in mid-February, and she has now begun taking her first steps.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Kirk’s dik-dik, it’s a species often found in the scrublands and mountainous regions of Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia in Africa.
They take their name from the sharp, high-pitched ‘dik-dik’ alarm call they make when startled and as they dart for cover.
These adorable little creatures use their elongated, flexible noses to pluck leaves directly from branches – a unique feature found only in dik-diks – and they mark their territory using scent glands beneath their eyes and between their toes.
In what carers at Chester Zoo are describing as a ‘heartwarming twist’, little Dotty is actually being raised with the help of a surrogate father.
ADVERTISEMENT
This is because Dotty’s biological dad passed away of old age shortly before her birth, and now a new male dik-dik named Dan – who arrived from a zoo in Cumbria in February – has gently stepped into the role alongside mum Chrissy.
This is Dotty the dik-dik – one of the world’s tiniest antelopes / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Dik-diks are naturally very shy animals, so for the first couple of weeks Chrissy’s tiny fawn has been tucked away in a quiet, cosy den, with mum popping back to feed and check on her,” explained Megan Carpenter, who is the Assistant Team Manager of Small Mammals at Chester Zoo.
“Now though, she’s beginning to find her feet and we’re seeing those lovely first steps as she heads out on her first little outdoor adventures.
ADVERTISEMENT
“In a lovely addition to the story, we’ve also welcomed a new male dik-dik, Dan, as part of the European conservation breeding programme.
“He’s already stepped in alongside mum Chrissy to help raise the newborn and it’s wonderful to see the three of them together.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
Trending
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
Trending
Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
7th April 2026 
