S’pore Hiker Spots Tiny Mousedeer At Chestnut Nature Park, Netizens Gush At Smol Creature

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.

Source

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.

Source

Judging by its delicate build and tiny legs, the creature is likely a lesser mousedeer — the world’s smallest hoofed animal.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source 

Some also made references to a popular Malay folklore character — Sang Kancil the mousedeer.

Source

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.

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Facebook.