Hope for Critically Endangered Species: Rare Birth of Philippine Deer

In the United Kingdom, the Bristol Zoo Project has just publicly announced the arrival of its latest protégé. He is an adorable little spotted fawn who was born in the park. His birth, however, is not trivial. The fawn actually belongs to the most endangered species of deer in the world.

This is the Prince Alfred deer, also called the Philippine spotted deer (Rusa alfredi). Endemic to the Philippines, it only lives on two islands in the Visayas, those of Panay and Negros. This deer is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Fewer than 700 Philippine spotted deer live in the wild

The wildlife park is participating in a conservation program to try to save the tropical species. In fact, there are currently fewer than 700 Prince Alfred deer left in the wild in the Philippines. The species has unfortunately been driven to the brink of extinction by intensive hunting for several years.

The Prince Alfred deer is easily distinguished from other Philippine deer with its white spots on its sides and back. However, you have to be lucky to observe it in a natural environment. Not only are there only a few hundred individuals left, but it is also nocturnal and particularly discreet.

In addition, this deer is small. It measures between 60 to 80 cm at the withers and weighs between 40 and 60 kg. Only males have antlers.

An unexpected, but encouraging birth

Several zoos, including Bristol, are now involved in the spotted deer conservation program. Bristol Zoo welcomed the fawn's two parents, Pandora and Eugene, in the hope that they would reproduce. They came from two different zoos, Colchester and Chester.

The two adult deer have lived at Bristol Zoo since June 2023, but this is the first time they have welcomed a fawn. This little one therefore has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He will help ensure the future of his species.

As Will Walker, Curator of Mammals at Bristol Zoo, said in a statement, “ every new arrival here at the zoo is special, but when it comes to such an endangered species in the wild, it makes this moment even more important “.

The small Philippine deer is in very good health at a height of 30 cm

Keepers have confirmed that the fawn is in excellent health. He feeds exclusively on his mother's milk during the first weeks of his life. He will then begin to nibble on plants, but he will suckle from his mother until he is completely weaned between 6 and 10 months.

The baby is only 30 cm tall. “ It may be tiny, but the fawn has an important role to play in the future of its species in the Philippines, where we have been working with local communities since 2014. Together with our partners, we aim to reduce illegal hunting and to protect the remaining forests of Panay and Negros islands and the wildlife found there », adds Will Walker.

Internet users will choose the name of the little fawn

Visitors to the Bristol Zoo Project can now visit the little fawn. Besides, the little one doesn't have a name yet. The zoo is asking Internet users to vote for one of the three preselected names on its Facebook account. These names pay homage to the origins of Prince Alfred's deer:

• Laserna, which is the name of a community the zoo works with in the northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park;
• Maliit, meaning “small” in Tagalog;
• Bulahan, which means “blessed” in the Bisaya dialect used in the Visayas Islands.

Source: Bristol Zoo Project