One of the world’s tiniest antelopes has been born at Chester Zoo and it’s no bigger than a tin of beans
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
Read more:
- Chester Zoo becomes first UK zoo to gain important international status
- New spring date announced for Chester Zoo’s popular running event to help UK wildlife
- Chester Zoo named UK’s best zoo for second year running after more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ ratings
“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