Doe (a Deer, a Female Deer) Born at the Zoo

We keep a supply of cigars at the ready here the Around the Mall Blog, knowing just about any day another bundle of joy might arrive at the National Zoo. And just when we thought we were headed into the long, cold months when births tend to fall off, along comes this female. She's an Eld's deer, an endangered subspecies from Southeast Asia that is nearing extinction in the wild with fewer than 2,000 remaining. The babe was born last week and the mother, "Eve," is doing well. The pair will be rejoining the zoo's herd of 14 females within a few months.

Beth Py-Lieberman | | READ MORE

Senior editor Beth Py-Lieberman is the author of the The Object at Hand: Intriguing and Inspiring Stories from the Smithsonian Collections.