Ram and Deer to 'Wed' in Chinese Zoo

(NewsCore) - A ram and a deer will cement their inter-species love with a "marriage" ceremony at a zoo in southwestern China on Valentine's Day.

The inseparable animals' unusual affair captured the hearts of the public, and on Tuesday, Changmao the ram will make an honest woman out of Chunzi the doe, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.

"Normally, a chital deer would only mate while in season," zoo spokeswoman Li Li said. "But this couple mate nearly every day. We believe they don't do that for breeding but for love."

The pair met in the winter of 2009, when Changmao was a lamb and Chunzi was a yearling, and the smitten male began following her around.

"We want people to understand that love is not limited to a traditional view but has varieties," Li added.

However, wildlife experts warned people against attaching human meaning to animals' behavior.

"Animals are controlled by their own nature and don't have any sense of love," according to Zhang Jinshuo, of the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Read more: South China Morning Post