This Video Of A Tiny Deer Squaring Up To A Rhino Is Melting Hearts Online

A remarkable and unexpected scene unfolded at Wroclaw Zoo in Poland, where a small deer was seen boldly taking on a 1.7-tonne rhinoceros inside the animal enclosure.

The deer was captured on video headbutting the rhino, named Maruska, before chasing the much larger animal around, leaving onlookers stunned by the dramatic size mismatch. Zoo officials later explained that the behaviour was driven by heightened hormones, noting that the deer’s partner is in heat and the bachelor male was “pumping with testosterone.”

🦌 🦏 Tiny 13kg deer takes on 1.7-tonne rhino at Wroclaw Zoo

A case of David vs Goliath at Wroclaw Zoo, as a tiny 13kg deer takes on a nearly two-tonne rhinoceros and appears to come out of the clash on top. pic.twitter.com/aKFpwP8VJd

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 9, 2026

“He needs to release his energy and show who’s boss, even if his sparring partner weighs 1.7 tons,” the zoo said in a statement. Amused by the unlikely display of dominance, officials added, “Who would have thought that such a warrior could be hidden in that tiny body?”

The deer, identified as a Reeves’s muntjac—a small, reddish-brown species native to southeastern China and Taiwan—was filmed headbutting the rhino, Maruska, before chasing the much larger animal around. Often called the “barking deer” because of their distinctive dog-like vocalisations, muntjacs are known for their adaptability and can live in environments ranging from snowy temperate forests to subtropical jungles.

Hoofed animal keeper Maciej Okupnik said that despite the unusual clash, the two species often coexist. “Both in our facility and in the wild, Reeves’s muntjacs and rhinos live side by side and interact constantly,” he said. However, Okupnik told Polish media that the animals generally keep their distance, as they use different methods to mark their territory, making such confrontations rare.