Rare deer-like species photographed for first time in wild
Posted November 12, 2019 6:00 am
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A tiny deer-like species not seen by scientists for nearly 30 years has been photographed in a forest in southern Vietnam.
Conservationists say images of the silver-backed chevrotain, commonly called the Vietnamese mouse deer, were captured in the wild by trap cameras.
Global Wildlife Conservation said in a statement Tuesday that the rabbit-sized animal is not a deer or a mouse, despite its nickname, but is the world's smallest hoofed mammal.
It says they are shy and solitary, have two tiny fangs, appear to walk on the tips of their hooves, and have a silver sheen.
In this Apr. 22, 2018, photo, a silver-backed chevrotain is captured on a camera trap in an undisclosed forest in south central Vietnam. The species, commonly known as Vietnamese mouse deer, was rediscovered after 30 years. (Southern Institute of Ecology/Global Wildlife Conservation/Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research/NCNP via AP)
The Associated Press
In this Jun. 6, 2018 photo, two silver-backed chevrotains were captured by a camera trap in an undisclosed forest in south central Vietnam. The species, commonly known as Vietnamese mouse deer, was rediscovered after 30 years. (Southern Institute of Ecology/Global Wildlife Conservation/Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research/NCNP via AP)
The Associated Press
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