On September 29, M’Bopicuá, known in Spanish as Estación de Cría de Fauna M'Bopicuá, welcomed a little Pampas Deer into the world. The fawn is a healthy female, and she is being well care-for by her mother. The Pampas Deer is a threatened species in Uruguay, where the station is located.
Once found widely throughout the grasslands of South America, the Pampas Deer now exists in small, isolated populations in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Conversion of habitat for agriculture and predation by feral dogs have contributed to their decline. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the remaining habitat of the Pampas Deer is less than one percent of what existed in 1900. Historically, Pampas deer were hunted sustainably for their meat and skins, but their use is much less common now that the species is threatened.
M’Bopicuá Breeding Station works to protect and repopulate native species in danger of extinction around their conservation area. A member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, M’Bopicuá also focuses on environmental education and training with local school children. This little fawn may play an important role in the station's breeding program, or someday be released into protected conservation land.
Photo credits: M’Bopicuá
See a video of the fawn:
The little fawn shows off her speed:
