WATCH — Why a tiny deer and a large rhino went head-to-head
The rhino is nearly 100 times his size
It’s not every day that you see such a one-sided standoff.
This small deer, called a muntjac, took on a full-sized adult rhino in this viral video from the Wrocław Zoo in Poland.
In a bold display of bravery, this fearless muntjac faced an opponent nearly 100 times his weight.
In the end, it appeared as though the rhino stood down and left the muntjac with a taste of victory.
While it may seem like a video generated by artificial intelligence, this tense battle between two friends is totally real.
The original video was posted to the zoo’s Facebook page on Jan. 8 and has been viewed millions of times.
See Manny breakdown the video here:
They’re actually friends
The female rhino, named Marusia or Maruška, is a greater one-horned rhino.
She shares an enclosure with several other animals, including two muntjacs.
The staff at the zoo simply named the pair Muntjac Mom and Muntjac Dad.
They say Maruška knows the two muntjacs very well.
They all live together in a multispecies exhibit designed to resemble a natural habitat dedicated to Asian fauna.
Why the muntjac attacked
The muntjac wasn’t simply looking for a fight.
He was trying to protect his territory and his mate, according to zoo officials.
That’s because the female muntjac was in heat, meaning that she was ready to mate.
During this time, the male’s priority is to impress the female so his instinct and hormones take over.
So when the rhino got too close, the muntjac stood his ground.
As for Maruška , the zoo says she is very gentle and aware of her size.
She treated the “attack” as a kind of game.
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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Wrocław Zoo
