The Java mouse deer is a special animal from the island of Java in Indonesia, it is also the smallest deer in the world. Their shape is very small, weighing only about 1 to 2 kg, resembles a mouse. Ordinary deer are considered giant for them.
Java deer are the smallest ungulates and in the world they often live in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Most of their habitat is found in dense forests, near rocks and water. Due to their very small size, it is very easy to mistake them for a mouse.
According to The Epoch Times, Marwell Zoo in Hampshire County in England recently had a newborn Java deer, which attracts the attention of visitors as very few zoos keep Java deer.
This Java deer at birth weighs only 370g and is very healthy. She also drinks milk sometimes, but only at night. The parents of this baby deer are residents of this “tropical house”.
Zoo employee Tim Rowlands said deer will hide baby deer until they get old. Thus, the baby deer will only appear by eating and then hiding.
“There are very few Java mouse zoos, because they are very small, hide often, and only operate at night, so every Java mouse deer is born.
For the Java mouse deer, human hunting is a major threat to them. Although Java deer have been protected by law since 1931, in Indonesia people have hunted this species for many years and sell them as pets or as food.
Java deer often appear in the markets of cities such as Jakarta, Malang and Yogyakarta on the island of Java. But controlling the deer trade in the markets is not easy as they are often locked in very small cages.
Although it is not known how many wild Java deer exist on the island of Java today, but according to the number of animals traded in the markets, there must be a good number living on the island. otherwise, Java deer in these markets are imported from outside Indonesia.
