Cute or Creepy? Endangered Philippine Mouse Deer Is the First to Be Born in England Zoo

The baby Philippine mouse deer weighs only 430 grams, and is approximately the size of a Christmas ornament.

Is this baby animal a mouse or a deer?

A rare Philippine mouse deer, the size of a Christmas ornament, was born at an England zoo, marking the first time the endangered species has been successfully bred in the U.K.

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The little lady, who weighs only 430 grams, was born last month to Rita and Ramos, Philippine mouse deer that currently live at the Chester Zoo.

Although the mouse deer bears the hooves of a deer and the size of a mouse, they are actually neither mouse nor deer. The rare species is considered an ungulate, a distant relative of giraffes and hippos.

"While this new arrival may be small in stature, it's big in terms of importance," Chester Zoo's Tim Rowlands said in a statement. "It's the very first time the animal has been bred in the U.K."

The species, native to Southeast Asia, is threatened by loss of habitat and poached for meat — considered a delicacy in parts of the Philippines.

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The birth of the unnamed female Philippine mouse is a result of a Europe-wide breeding program to repopulate endangered species.

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