  We report the first high spatial resolution near-infrared imaging of the Vela
pulsar in the $K_s$ band obtained with the new adaptive optics system recently
mounted on the Gemini-South telescope. For the first time, we have firmly
detected the pulsar in this band with $K_s$ $\approx$ 21\fm8, and have resolved
in detail an extended feature barely detected previously in the immediate
vicinity of the pulsar in the $J_sH$ bands. The pulsar $K_s$ flux is fully
consistent with the extension of the flat optical spectrum of the pulsar
towards the infrared and does not confirm the strong infrared flux excess in
the pulsar emission suggested earlier by the low spatial resolution data. The
extended feature is about two times brighter than the pulsar and is likely
associated with its X-ray counter-jet. It extends $\sim$ 2\asec southwards of
the pulsar along the X-ray ounter-jet and shows knot-like structures and a red
spectrum.
