“Someone must have forgotten to look in the mirror this morning,” the Wroclaw zoo captioned a video posted to Instagram, which has since gone viral. The reel captures a special moment between a tiny male Muntjak deer taking on a rhino, seemingly unbothered by the discrepancy in his opponent’s size.
The deer repeatedly challenges the 1.7 ton rhino, chasing the larger animal around the enclosure. The rhino, named Maruśka, exhibits endless patience, gently rebuffing the deer’s attempts to spar.
The reason behind this dramatic duel is said to be the deer’s female partner, currently in heat, which has triggered an excess of testosterone. Although a Muntjak deer reaches just 50 centimetres in height, they can usually live with larger animals without issue, and normally steer clear of each other’s territories. In this case, however, the deer had an excess of energy and sought to let off steam with the rhino. Muntjaks are usually very territorial, while rhinos are more tolerant. Only tigers make them nervous in the wild.
Wrocław Zoo is Poland’s largest zoo, and is well known for its vast number of species, in particular African animals.
