One of world’s tiniest antelopes born the size of bean can

By Ed Chatterton

One of the world's smallest baby antelopes has taken her first wobbly steps after being born at a UK zoo - standing barely taller than a tin of baked beans.

The tiny Kirk's dik-dik fawn, named Dotty, was born weighing just a few hundred grams at Chester Zoo on February 17.

Heartwarmingly, she is being raised with the help of a surrogate father after her biological dad sadly passed away of old age shortly before her birth.

A new male dik-dik named Dan - who arrived from a zoo in Cumbria in February - has stepped into the role alongside mom Chrissy and adorable pictures show Dotty taking her first steps outside.

When fully grown, Dotty will still reach just 40cm tall - making her one of the smallest antelopes on the planet.

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Megan Carpenter, assistant team manager of small mammals at Chester Zoo, said: "Dik-diks are naturally very shy animals, so for the first couple of weeks Chrissy's tiny fawn has been tucked away in a quiet, cosy den, with mom popping back to feed and check on her.

"Now though, she's beginning to find her feet and we're seeing those lovely first steps as she heads out on her first little outdoor adventures.

"In a lovely addition to the story, we’ve also welcomed a new male dik-dik, Dan, as part of the European conservation breeding program.

"He’s already stepped in alongside mom Chrissy to help raise the newborn and it's wonderful to see the three of them together.”

The species is often found in the scrublands and mountainous regions of Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia in Africa, where they take their name from the sharp, high-pitched "dik-dik" alarm call they make when startled and as they dart for cover.

They use their elongated, flexible noses to pluck leaves directly from branches - a unique feature found only in dik-diks - and mark their territory using scent glands beneath their eyes and between their toes.