(NewsNation) — The Oakland Zoo is asking the public to help name its newest critter: a newborn southern pudu, the world’s second-smallest deer species.
The Northern California zoo posted on social media that a southern pudu named Riley gave birth this week.
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“Meet our a‑DEER‑able newest addition!” the zoo wrote. “This little guy is yet to be named, so if you have ideas, drop them in the comments!”
Native to Chile and Argentina, southern pudu are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are protected from hunting, according to the zoo’s website. The southern pudu population is believed to have declined by 50% over the past 500 years and by 20% over the past 12 to 15 years.
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The tiny deer are typically 7 to 8 inches tall at birth and weigh 1 to 2 pounds, according to the website. They can eventually grow to be between 24 and 29 inches tall and 33 inches long, and usually weigh between 15 and 30 pounds…