CHESTER Zoo is celebrating the safe arrival of a new Philippine spotted deer, one of the most endangered deer species in the world.

The tiny new arrival has been named Lyra and weighed just 3kg when she was born. The species comes from the Philippines, where it has sadly gone extinct on some of the islands in the country. Chester Zoo is part of an international breeding programme started by the Philippine government in a bid to save the species from disappearing completely.

Only around 700 animals are thought to be left living in the wild. As well as being part of the breeding programme, Chester Zoo has been working alongside local communities in the Philippines to help protect the species.

In 2020, zoo staff helped release 28 Philippine spotted deer back into the wild.