Baby Pudu...
10/07/2023
This week we are delighted to welcome another baby Pudu, a tiny baby born to the World's smallest species of deer. Native to southern South America these animals are threatened with extinction in the wild.
Hamerton Zoo Park has been an active member of the European Breeding Programme (EEP) set up to try to preserve the species in captivity, since 1994, and our latest baby is the 12th to be born at the Park.
Unfortunately, due to moves ceasing following Brexit and lack of interest by other zoos only 13 Pudu are now to be found in the UK, 4 of which are at Hamerton Zoo Park.
The Zoo population on mainland Europe appears to be collapsing too, and a concerted effort will have to be made if this species is not to be come extinct in captivity.
At Hamerton we take our commitment to captive-breeding programmes very seriously, and do not keep just a minimum number of animals purely as exhibits, and for this reason as soon as the new baby is safely independent we will welcome another female Pudu from Chester to mate with our important male, and another enclosure is currently being built to house a third breeding female along with a new male.