Liberec zoo acquires rare Philippine spotted deer

Liberec, North Bohemia, June 26 (CTK) - The Liberec zoo has acquired four female Philippine spotted deer, a very rare small ungulate that lives only on two Philippine islands in the wild and ranks among the world's most endangered wildlife species, the zoo's expert Lubos Melichar told journalists yesterday.

He said the zoo has joined an international programme for the salvation of this deer species that is only some 70 cm tall.

The four females arrived in Liberec from a zoo in northern Italy. If they do well, Liberec may gain a male to start breeding the species.

The Liberec zoo has been assisting in the salvation of the spotted deer and other animal species, many of them endemic, directly in the Philippines. It mainly cooperates with Pavel Hospodarsky, a Czech-born expert who has lived in the Philippines and worked as an animal salvation centres' adviser since 2006.

Breeding of the rare deer in Liberec would be another step towards their salvation, zoo director David Nejedlo said.