Conservation Breeding of Mouse deer

Mouse deer is the smallest deer species amongst deer family. It is a rare species to spot in wild because of its shy and of cryptic nature. Nandankanan Zoological Park is breeding mouse deer since 1971 and a participating zoo for conservation breeding of mouse deer since 2009. There have been 36 births of mouse deer in captivity since 1971 including 23 birth under the conservation breeding programme, i.e., after 2009. The zoo has sent mouse deer to the coordinating zoo Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad in 2013 and 2016, to Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden, Mysore in 2018 and received mouse deer from Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad in 2016 to infuse new blood line and increase heterozygosity. Presently the zoo is having 28 mouse deer (13:11:4) and going ahead with conservation breeding programme.