Hiker Chances Upon Endangered Rare Mousedeer At Chestnut Nature Park
Despite our humble size, Singapore’s forests are home to incredible biodiversity, including endangered species which rarely enter our common sight.
Last Friday (5 Mar), a hiker spotted a rare mousedeer in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
Sharing a photo of it on Facebook, the adorable smol creature caused many netizens’ hearts to melt.
Mousedeer is actually a Singapore native
According to the Facebook post, the lucky hiker chanced upon the mousedeer along the Gangsa Trail in Chestnut Nature Park last Friday (5 Mar) afternoon.
Judging by its delicate build and tiny legs, the creature is likely a lesser mousedeer — the world’s smallest hoofed animal.
With a rodent-like face, rabbit-sized body and piglet-like pencil thin legs, the lesser mousedeer looks like a rojak animal that exists only in bedtime tales.
But according to the National Parks Board (NParks), the mammal is not only a Singapore native, but has been critically endangered since 2008.
Reasons for its endangerment include poaching and habitat loss.
Netizens gush at smol creature’s cuteness
Calling the hiker’s sighting lucky, many netizens find the creature’s smolness extremely adorable.
Some find it surprising that Singapore has an animal as cute as the mousedeer.
Others rightly point out the creature’s rareness in Singapore, commenting not without envy that it was the OP’s lucky day.
After all, it is only found in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
Some also made references to a popular Malay folklore character — Sang Kancil the mousedeer.
The wily character apparently makes clever use of its small size to protect itself from a much bigger predator.
Hope the creature continues to thrive
Admittedly, the mammal’s tininess is piling up to a cuteness overload.
However, the species faces various threats and is currently endangered. While cute, we have to protect the species as well as other endangered ones if we are to see them survive in future.
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Featured image adapted from Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Facebook.
