NORRISTOWN, PA — Zookeepers at Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown are celebrating this week following the successful birth of their newest residents.
The team welcomed a Reeves's muntjac, a baby boy who weighed in at just about 2.2 pounds.
Reeves's muntjacs are a very distinctive species of deer native to Taiwan and China, known for their loud, dog-like barking sounds. They're shorter and notably more barrel chested than the white-tailed deer you'll see in Pennsylvania, and much smaller. When fully grown, they only weigh about 30 pounds, as compared to white tail deer, which grow to 90 to 300 pounds.
The new baby is the offspring of Violet and Colby, Elmwood's resident Reeves's muntjacs. It was a carefully managed birth through the Species Survival Plan, which helps ensure genetically diverse populations of animals in zoos.
Violet and the new baby are already out on display in their exhibit along the Zoo's main path.
A name for the new baby will be unveiled in the coming days to weeks.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Norristown Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.