Zoo welcomes little deer with big name

The big news at the Queens Zoo lately is the arrival of Josephine, the new consort of Napoleon, the zoo’s pudu. Pudus are the world’s smallest deer, native to Argentina and Chile. They’re endangered, largely because of habitat destruction and hunting.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) zookeepers say the imperial pair took a liking to each other almost immediately, forming a bond like that of their historic namesakes.
These tiny deer, whose scientific name is pudu puda, stand about 12 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder, are excellent jumpers, sprinters and climbers that can run away from almost any predator.
According to WCS spokesperson Barbara Russo, “What the pudu lacks in size it makes up in strategy.” When chased, the little deer run in a zigzag pattern that’s hard to follow, “proving that size doesn’t always matter in the wild,” Russo said.
Since Napoleon and Josephine look almost identical, it’s difficult to tell the pudus apart. A sure-fire way is to look for Napoleon’s spike antlers, which as in all deer species, are only grown by the males, fall off and grow anew each year.
Napoleon and Josephine are romping in their enclosure, just up the path from the zoo’s other historic couple, bald eagles Mel and Claire II (named after former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman and her husband.)
The imperial pudu pair is getting along so well that zookeepers are hoping to hear the patter of really little feet (hooves actually) in the future.
The people at the zoo want you to view the pudus. They go to extended spring/summer hours starting March 22.
The Queens Zoo is located at 53-51 111th Street inside Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The nearest park entrance is at the parking lot on 111th Street, between 54th and 55th Avenues.
The zoo opens at 10 a.m. each day and starting March 22, closes at 5 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information about the Queens Zoo, call 718-271-5000, or visit their web page at www.nyzoosandaquarium.com/qz.