Chennai: A fifteen-day-old swamp deer fawn is the latest attraction at the Arignar Anna Zoological park. With the addition of this male fawn, the count of swamp deer population, which has been categorised under highly threatened species, has increased to 14, with 6 male and 8 female deer, say zoo authorities. "Special care is being provided to the male fawn, born on June 25," the authorities said.
The lifespan of a swamp deer is around 23 years and the survival chances of the animal are more in captivity than in the wild. The species is different from other deer as they possess multiple tines ranging from 3 to 20. Observed mostly along the base of Himalayas, the species, which is protected under schedule 1 of wild life protection act, 1972 is extinct in West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.
