Bambi (バンビ) is a fictional deer created by Austrian author Felix Salten in the 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods. His name is derived from the Italian word bambino ("little child"). Famously adapted by The Walt Disney Company in the 1942 film Bambi, he is portrayed as a white-tailed fawn with large eyes, spotted fur, and expressive ears. Initially shy, curious, and naïve, Bambi is guided through the forest by his mother and his friends, Thumper and Flower. After his mother's tragic death at the hands of a hunter, he is forced to mature quickly, eventually growing into a courageous and wise leader who succeeds his father as the Great Prince of the Forest.
