Mousedeer

With a rodent-like face and a rabbit's body perched precariously atop the pencil-thin feet of a piglet, the mousedeer looks like an odd mix of different animals.

Delicate of build and shy by nature, this unique group of tiny hoofed mammals may lack the horns or antlers of other hoofed animals but they do sport fangs. Long and tusk-like, these enlarged upper canines are especially prominent in males, and used in slashing competititions to warn off rivals.

In Southeast Asia, a quick-witted mousedeer character called Sang Kanchil, is the star of many trickster stories. These stories have been told and passed down for generations as part of Malaysian and Indonesian folklore. In these tales, the tiger and crocodile are two of the big and powerful creatures in the forest often outwitted by the wily mousedeer.

Singapore as a country has often been likened to Sang Kancil — making up for her small size with the nimbleness and cunning to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.