World’s smallest deer fawn born at Edinburgh Zoo

Posted 10 Jun 2024

Southern pudu female Violetta and her fawn Gia IMAGE: Natasha Morgan 2024

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has shared the first images of an adorable two-week-old Southern pudu fawn born to first-time parents Violetta and Evan. The tiny female youngster is doing well and has been named Gia by keepers at the wildlife conservation charity.  

Native to the forests of Chile and Argentina, pudu are the smallest species of deer in the world standing at just 73cm tall when fully grown. Edinburgh Zoo’s tiny new arrival weighed just 630g at birth – less than a loaf of bread. She will be off-show for the first few weeks of her life but visitors will be able to spot her exploring under the watchful eye of Violetta soon.

Visitors can book tickets to the zoo online and save at edinburghzoo.org.uk/tickets