Deer-ram love story has China zoo aflutter

Unusual liaison

A posting on the park’s microblog posed the question: “What do you do when a ram falls in love with a deer?” It asked readers whether they agreed it would be “unethical” to let the unusual pairing continue.

“They do not want to be separated but it is unethical to let them go on,” said the posting, addressed to users of China’s hugely popular weibos — microblogging services similar to Twitter that have taken the country by storm.

The romantic liaison hit headlines this week after a local television station in the southwestern province of Yunnan picked up on the story, reporting that attempts to separate the pair had been unsuccessful.

The ram — whose name Changmao means Long Hair — “integrated himself into deer society” after being placed in a pen with the animals. “The sheep and the deer have been in love since last year,” said a park keeper. The pair would now be allowed to stay together.