The royal antelope is the world's smallest antelope at about 10-12 inches tall and only weighing around 10 pounds. A calf is small enough to fit into an average person's open hand.
To find one of these cute little guys, you're going to have to travel to the dense jungles of West Africa. You still might not see one, though, as they're also nocturnal and just very shy in general.
They usually live on their own, but occasionally they can be found in pairs. They can leap up to 2.5 meters in one bound.
Royal antelopes live off of the leaves and fruit of undergrowth, meaning they have plenty to eat, making their population relatively stable. A conservative estimate says that 62,000 of these antelope are roaming around, and the species is not considered endangered or even threatened.
Some local tribes even have a taboo against hunting them, as they see the animal as a symbol of wisdom. There are some, though, who hunt the antelope for it's meat. This hunting is the only real threat to these adorable creatures, but it is not significant enough to raise alarm.
