She stands just a few
centimetres tall but this tiny new arrival at Chester Zoo is making a big
impression. Aluna, the tiny Kirk’s
Dik-dik Antelope, is not much taller than a TV remote. 

For now, she is being
bottle-fed milk five times a day by the zoo’s dedicated curator of mammals
after she failed to bond with her mother. She will be given a helping hand until she is old enough to tuck into a
diet of buds, shoots and fruit on her own.

Photo credits: Chester Zoo

He said: “Our little one is growing stronger and
stronger by the day and, all being well, it shouldn’t be too long until she‘ll
be able to really hold her own. For the time being though her feed times are
staggered through the day and she has her first bottle in my living room at
home at around 7am. I then pop her into the car and bring her to work where she
has another three feeds in my office. Finally, her last one is at 10pm back at
my house.

“She’s already pretty quick on her feet and gives us quite the run
around in the office. That’s why we’ve called here Aluna which means ‘come here’ in Swahili. It’s rather apt!”

Many more photos below the fold…

Native to Kenya,
Tanzania and Namibia, the Dik-dik gets its name from the noise it makes when
running for cover. They can live for up to 10 years and reach a maximum size of
just 40cm tall, making it one of the smallest antelope species in the world. 

Related articles

Tiny Mouse Deer Born at Berlin Zoo

One Masked Baby Meerkat Peeks Out from Behind Mom at Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo's Baby Boom Continues with Birth of Second Elephant Calf

Zoo Berlin Welcomes Baby Giraffe