Welcoming England’s First White Lipped Deer Calf at Watatunga
A record breaking birth
We’re over the moon to share some truly extraordinary news from the reserve. On Tuesday, 10th June, a white-lipped deer calf was born right here at Watatunga, marking the first time this species has ever been born in England!
This tiny but mighty new arrival is far more than just an adorable face, he represents a milestone in conservation and a step forward for a species that desperately needs our help. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris) are native to regions of China and Tibet. Their population has suffered a significant decline, estimated at over 30% in the last three generations, largely due to hunting, habitat degradation, and overexploitation. With no recent reassessment and no accurate global population estimate, every successful birth is a huge deal.
Why this is an important moment
At Watatunga, we’re proud to be one of just 14 facilities in Europe involved in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for white-lipped deer. Even more significantly, there are only three sites in the UK that currently hold the species. Our breeding male, who came to us from Berlin five years ago, brings crucial new genetics to the UK’s captive population and this new deer calf could one day help expand the programme with a herd of his own.
This is the first calf for his mum, who arrived last year from Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland. We’ve been keeping a careful eye on her throughout her pregnancy, and we couldn’t be prouder of how well she’s taken to motherhood. The little one has already been microchipped and ear-tagged so that he can be identified and tracked as part of the EEP, and we’re happy to report that he took it all in his stride. He’s already showing signs of being a confident little chap, exploring the reserve with mum and staying exactly where mum tells him to. She returns every few hours to feed him, and he’s doing brilliantly so far.
Because we take a hands-off approach wherever possible, our team quietly observed signs of labour and kept a respectful distance. Only stepping in to check the calf once we were confident he was healthy, dry and had fed. It’s important to us that the animals at Watatunga behave as naturally as possible, and moments like this remind us exactly why we do things the way we do.
It’s also worth noting just how important it is for the UK to maintain viable populations of endangered species, especially at a time when disease outbreaks and post-Brexit complications make international animal transfers more difficult. With restrictions on importing animals and following foot and mouth outbreaks, every birth on UK soil adds real value to global conservation efforts.
Come meet the White lipped deer calf
Our 170-acre reserve is designed to reflect natural habitats as closely as possible and it turns out that white-lipped deer feel very much at home here. From conifer and willow scrub to rhododendron thickets and Lakeland grasses, we’ve seen these rare deer flourish in the kind of landscape they’d recognise in the wild. It’s especially exciting to see our work paying off with such a historic first.
But the story doesn’t stop there, we’re expecting a second white-lipped deer calf any day now! Our other female is heavily pregnant, and we’re hoping for another safe and healthy arrival soon. If you’re visiting us over the coming weeks, you might just be lucky enough to spot our newest addition on a self-drive guided safari tour. Keep your eyes peeled near the long grasses and if you do see him, remember you’re witnessing a true first in British wildlife history. We’ll be sharing more updates on the deer calf’s journey over the coming weeks, so be sure to follow us on social media @WatatungaWildlifeReserve
You can also read our article in the BBC here.