Woodland Park Zoo celebrates pudu birth; Smallest deer species in the world

The new pudu fawn, pictured, explores its habitat in the zoo’s Temperate Forest. (Megan Blandford/Woodland Park Zoo)

Information from Woodland Park Zoo

The Woodland Park Zoo family just got cuter with the arrival of a tiny male pudu (POO-doo) fawn. Pudu are the smallest deer species in the world and are native to South America. 

The fawn, which has yet to be named, was born May 2 to parents Ted and Maggie. The birth is the pudus’ fifth offspring together since they were paired under the Pudu Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of the species. 
  
The fawn’s father, Ted, is 8 years old and arrived at the zoo in 2017. The mother, Maggie, 7, came in 2018. The pair of pudu are now parents to four males and one female. All three of their previous male fawns were sent to accredited zoos across the country based on breeding recommendations created by the SSP. The female, born last year, still lives at Woodland Park Zoo.
 
The pudu pair and their new fawn are now viewable to the public in the zoo’s Temperate Forest habitat. Right now, the fawn is very curious, but cautious and following his instincts to hide when he feels threatened and is often not visible to guests. If guests have trouble seeing the pudu fawn, they’re encouraged to stop by the exhibit multiple times during their visit to possibly see him.

About Pudus

• Woodland Park Zoo is home to the southern pudu species. It lives in the lower Andes of Chile and southwest Argentina. 
• The small deer reaches only 14 to 18 inches high at the shoulder and weighs 14 to 30 pounds. 
• The compact deer lives in temperate rain forests and favors dense underbrush and bamboo thickets, which provide good cover from predators. The pudu can easily move through dense vegetation and among rocks to escape predators such as puma, fox and feral dogs.
• The pudu is listed as near-threatened due to hunting and a rapidly growing human population in the region that is leading to the loss of natural habitat due to clearing of land for agriculture, logging, and other human activities.  

Woodland Park Zoo offers a safe, outdoor experience for all. Visit zoo.org for information. Zoo hours: 9:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. daily through September 2.