No bigger than a tin of beans: Chester Zoo welcomes baby antelope Dotty
New-born Dotty is one of the smallest species of antelope in the world
Last updated 2nd Apr 2026
One of the world's tiniest antelope species has been born at Chester Zoo, and zookeepers say she's no bigger than a tin of beans!
New-born Dotty is a species of antelope called Kirk's dik-dik, and will only grow to a maximum size of 40cm.
Dotty is being raised by her mum Chrissy and surrogate father Dan, who stepped in after Dotty's dad died of old age just before she was born.
Megan Carpenter, Assistant Team Manager of Small Mammals at Chester Zoo, says that dik-diks are shy animals, so Dotty has been hiding away.
She said: "for the first couple of weeks Chrissy's tiny fawn has been tucked away in a quiet, cosy den, with mum 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."
Facts about Kirk's dik-dik
As they only grow to a maximum size of 40cm, they're one of the smallest antelope species in the world.
They get their name from the sharp, high-pitched "dik-dik" alarm call they make when they're scared.
They use their noses to pluck leaves from branches.
The species is usually found in Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia.