Mouse deer born at Bristol zoo

[EndoplasmicReticulum]

BBC News.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56841632

Its gender is not yet known, according to the BBC.

Glad they changed it, scary how many people don't know there's a difference between sec and gender.

It says sex now!

I wonder what the (many) complaints said :)

Just wanted to say, I've seen a mouse deer at Bristol Zoo and it wasn't all that 🤷‍♀️

Someone with a brain came along and changed it to sex, all good now.

I am surprised however that they havent mentioned what gender it was assigned at birth. Maybe there waiting to see if it likes the pink blanket or blue blanket

Still waiting for them to change the second gender in the article. It's not actually a quote so it should be changed.

Pedantic, moi?!

@Greencoatblue

Being able to identify out of a short life in a veal crate would be very appealing, though.

UK outlawed veal crates in 1990 and the EU in 2006. Still a good idea to identify as a heifer though, until it comes to having to be mated and calve.............

That is most cheering news.

@SuperSange

My husband works with Mouse deer, but not at the location. He says they're difficult to sex straight after birth, as are a lot of animals, but has no idea about their gender identity.

Puts me in mind of a Qi where Stephen Fry discussed a skilled group of chicken sexers who only need to hold a hatchling chick in the hand to assess the sex and sort them accordingly. That and the Norfolk community of Vietnamese turkey sexers.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00ksm0m

@RabbitOfCaerbannog

Just wanted to say, I've seen a mouse deer at Bristol Zoo and it wasn't all that 🤷‍♀️

I saw them years ago, I thought they were very sweet. IIRC they were in a building with various other cute small creatures .... and naked mole rats.

I think it’s really good news that it’s been changed because it means someone has called it out and someone has listened.

It’s a bit sad that it’s got to this pedantic stage, but that’s the threat our language is under.

As many of us have said we have to call it out every single time.

I saw them years ago, I thought they were very sweet. IIRC they were in a building with various other cute small creatures .... and naked mole rats.

They're fine. Very small. Cute little legs. Next to naked mole rats they probably look adorable.

@Leafstamp

I think it’s really good news that it’s been changed because it means someone has called it out and someone has listened.

It’s a bit sad that it’s got to this pedantic stage, but that’s the threat our language is under.

As many of us have said we have to call it out every single time.

Mouse deer with gender identities is obviously a bridge too far for the beeb. Maybe this is the tipping point? 🐭🦌⛔️

I'm still reeling from the BBC listing the 'gender' of the horses at the Horse of the Year Show

Can we stop shaming the naked mole rats please.

Naked mole rats may not be as cute as a mouse deer but being resistant to cancer is probably more use than cuteness.

But hang on - sex is assigned at birth, we're told, and biology is bigotry, so surely the zoo can just assign it whichever sex they prefer it to be?

Later on it can reveal what gender it is. I wonder how many genders mouse deer currently have and how they indicate, not having speech and all?

Pronouns could be tricky!

@AuntyFungal

Can we stop shaming the naked mole rats please.

I'm pretty sure they have no shame.

@EndoplasmicReticulum

BBC News. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56841632

Its gender is not yet known, according to the BBC.

No, not according to the BBC. The report by the BBC says its sex is not known; the reference to gender is reported speech of one of the zoo keepers.

No, not according to the BBC. The report by the BBC says its sex is not know

It says that now, apparently it was changed since the OP posted.

MissBarbary they changed the report a couple of hours later.