The fawn looked so cute and helpless. It wasn’t even old enough to get away quickly if it knew it should. It just seemed vulnerable and in need of assistance.
I smiled wistfully and whispered, “If you grow to be a big wise deer one day, it will be in part because I allowed you to pass this test of nature on your own. Besides, your mom is probably watching me from a distance and hoping I leave you alone. Good luck my little friend!”
March through June are the months when many critters give birth to their young, and people should be aware that just because they see a baby animal alone doesn’t mean it’s been abandoned.
Well-meaning people may try to “help” a young animal by feeding it or picking it up. In doing so, they can short-circuit the foraging or hunting lessons parents are trying to teach their offspring with valuable tools like hunger and determination.
“People need to appreciate the viewing opportunity, then just turn and walk away and leave the animal alone,” Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wildlife veterinarian Pam Swift once said to me. “Human interaction is rarely beneficial to wild animals, even though it may be tempting to handle baby animals.”
Every year, DFG receives hundreds of reports of deer fawns picked up by people. In most cases, there was no evidence the mother was dead or had abandoned the fawn. According to a DFG press release, a San Anselmo man had picked up an elk calf at Point Reyes National Seashore and fed it cow’s milk, which can cause diarrhea and lead to death by dehydration.
In most cases, DFG warns people who have taken a baby animal from the wild that the best corrective action is to take the animal back and to place it in exactly the same location, and then leave.
According to Swift, “When people find fawns they think are abandoned, they feel sorry for them. They don’t realize that when a fawn is a newborn it’s not strong enough to go with its mother. This is the process that a doe uses to protect her baby.”
Once a fawn is removed from its mother, it can lose its ability to survive in the wild. The same danger applies to most species, including raccoons, bears, coyotes and most birds. If the animal can be placed back in the spot where it was found within 24 hours, Swift said, the mother may return and retrieve it.
If a sick, injured or orphaned animal can’t be replaced in the wild, it should be turned over to a permitted rehabilitation center if it is to have any chance of surviving in the wild.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
