Eld's Deer Fawn Born

Mother and baby eld's deer sitting in hay inside a barn

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed an Eld’s deer fawn Oct. 2 around 4:30 p.m. Both the fawn and her mom Sienna appear to be doing well and the fawn is nursing. This is Sienna’s second fawn and the first for the fawn’s dad, Duffy. Keepers will weigh her several times a week to ensure that she is growing normally. In about a month, she’ll start nibbling on solid foods, but she won’t start eating many solid foods until she’s about two months old. Around the same time, she’ll join a nursery herd of Eld’s deer made up of mothers and their fawns. At six months old, she’ll be introduced to main Eld’s deer herd. Since 1980 145 Eld’s deer fawns have been born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Check out the video of mom and baby below.