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[Betty]

A baby Java mouse-deer - one of the smallest hoofed animals in the world - has been born at a zoo in southern Spain.

The newborn deer is "no bigger than a hamster" and weighs about 100 grams, staff at Bioparc Fuengirola tell the El Pais newspaper. Adult Java mouse-deer are rarely bigger than rabbits or weigh more than 1kg (2.2lb). They are also known to be fiercely intelligent, and the species represents wisdom in many local legends in its native Java, says The Local website.

The baby mouse-deer is the eighth to be born in Fuengirola, which is running a programme to breed the rare species. Its mother was born at the same zoo in 2007, and its father came from Zoo Lille in France last year, the Spanish zoo says. The family lives the zoo's Hidden Forest, which recreates the ruins of a temple lost in the Asian jungle.

Bioparc Fuengirola says there are currently 43 Java mouse-deer in Europe, but warns the future of the species is threatened by massive deforestation in South East Asia and the replacement of jungles with oil palm plantations.

news story link here

Didn't realize mouse-deer even existed, but now I'm just so glad they do.

 

[The Atticus]

I really thought the mouse deer was in better shape, conservation wise. :/

 

[PigSpeakers]

That is the cutest thing ever. Please don't go extinct

 

[Anion]

Thats insane. I dont know what else to say.

 

[Alrus]

Palm oil plantations are truly a blight on this planet.

 

[Betty]

I really thought the mouse deer was in better shape, conservation wise. :/

Seems the 'lesser' types as they're called are fine, these Java variants are the ones who are endangered.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

 

[Salsa]

I read this as deer-sized hamster and got way more excited

 

[fallagin]

Save that thing IMMEDIATELY.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

story link?

 

[raindoc]

tbh, i'm a tiny bit disappointed that they don't grow hamster-sized antlers.

 

[DECK'ARD]

I had no idea these existed.

 

[Maximus.]

That would be kind of a cool looking pet.

 

[Betty]

story link?

Added, found it on BBC but it was reported first elsewhere.

 

[Stinkles]

GIVE ME ONE NOW.


wouldn't even need any game. Just go to a park full of chicks with it.

 

[Pryce]

Well ain't that just adorable.

 

[Zeppeli]

I need an army of these and a contract with Verne Troyer to produce the GREATEST CHRISTMAS FILM OF ALL TIME

 

[Brakke]

THE JACKALOPE WAS REAL ALL ALONG?

 

[antonz]

apparently some species of Mouse Deer can stay under water for over 5 minutes And some scientists believe whales might have evolved from species like these.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8137000/8137922.stm

 

[stonesak]

I want one.

 

[anarckitty]

Oh my god. I want one. Super adorbs.

 

[Conor_Fool]

I need an army of these and a contract with Verne Troyer to produce the GREATEST CHRISTMAS FILM OF ALL TIME

Get me in on this

 

[stonesak]

Oh my god. I want one. Super adorbs.

I called dibs.

 

[CO_Andy]

I wonder what one of them rodents tastes like

 

[FourMyle]

the fuck..?

 

[DedValve]

"Fiercely" intelligent baby hamster sized dear? That can't feed my family!

 

[injurai]

Wheres the 20 deer sized hamsters?

 

[Broder Salsa]

Hamster sized deers? Do we really need em?

 

[Plywood]

YO...

I want one.

 

[DECK'ARD]

Hamster sized deers? Do we really need em?

We need hamster sized versions of every animal.

 

[anarckitty]

I called dibs.

We need hamster sized versions of every animal.

I feel like there could be an Xzibit joke hiding somewhere in there.

 

[slit]

Can I have one as a pet?

 

[sixteen-bit]

looks kinda like a bat

 

[xbhaskarx]

the future of the species is threatened by massive deforestation in South East Asia and the replacement of jungles with oil palm plantations.

bummer...

 

[Kevin]

WE NEED VIDEOS!!!

 

[Broder Salsa]

WE NEED VIDEOS!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5KBtiD4jjc

It's not even cute.

 

[Betty]

WE NEED VIDEOS!!!

Quick clip of the lesser mouse deer.

and here's a small video of the actual Java newborns.

It's not even cute.

 

[Damaniel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5KBtiD4jjc

It's not even cute.

LIES!

Quick clip of the lesser mouse deer.

and here's a small video of the actual Java newborns.

You posted a LiveLeak video. I was half expecting that little mouse deer to meet its end in some particularly gruesome way. I was pleasantly surprised that it was just a normal video of a normal mouse deer.

 

[DeaviL]

Oh god, i can't act like that's not cute.

I feel a terrible need to hug that little thing.

 

[Nokagi]

I need me one of these rat deers.

 

[N.Domixis]

I need me one of these rat deers.

How have I never heard of these? I want me a dwarf deer damit!

 

[Arkos]

But are there any recipes??

 

[triplestation]

this is one of the weirdest thing ive ever seen

im dumbfound , i mean it

this is something you'd expect in an old disney film or some girly anime

but its real

why nature would choose to design this kind of animal to be that small is odd

 

[Mistel]

But are there any recipes??

My thoughts too maybe as a barbecue?

 

[hipbabboom]

But are there any recipes??

That's what I was thinking... That thing looks delicious!

 

[Kallor]

human: I wonder if we kill it and grind up the bones for medicine if it'll cure my bad boner
Human2: I bet it tastes good too!

Only 43? sorry little guys, you're fucked. Super cute though.

 

[Professor Lich]

I was kind of hoping for tiny antlers.

 

[AzerPhire]

Did they kill it's siblings to make room for it at the zoo?

 

[CreeperBlocks]

 

[Kevin]

Quick clip of the lesser mouse deer.

and here's a small video of the actual Java newborns.

OMG I want one! Where do I order???