Père David's Deer Fawn Born At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

ESCONDIDO, CA — For the first time in more than two decades, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has welcomed a Père David's deer fawn.

The male was born April 8 in the park's Asian Plains habitat. The fawn is the first Père David's deer born at the Escondido-based zoo in 22 years.

In the first one to two weeks of life, the fawn's mother kept him hidden, just as she would in native habitats, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the nonprofit conservation organization that operates the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. He is now visible to guests as he explores the habitat alongside the rest of the herd.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports the conservation of Père David's deer, which have been extinct in native habitats since 1939.

The Safari Park has cared for several herds of the species since the 1970s, according to the organization. More than 50 fawns were born at the Safari Park through the 1990s. The current herd has been at the Safari Park since November 2023. The yet-to-be-named fawn is the herd's first.