Be A Dear, Leave The Fawns Alone!

With the arrival of spring we welcome new babies – of all shapes and sizes in the wild. Some species have young that are helpless without mom 24/7 (opossums), but other wild babies have wonderful parents, even when the young are seemingly left unattended (rabbits, deer, foxes), for periods of time.

The opportunity to observe a little spotted fawn only a few days old, as s/he attempts to walk and navigate on long legs, is a rare glimpse into the wonders of nature…how the fawn stands unsteadily on its feet, not exactly sure of how to work those long limbs, watching as the legs splay out on four sides…endearing (pun intended), comical, and yes, similar to Disney’s Bambi – but deadly if a predator is nearby.

Deer rely on their speed and jumping ability to escape predators, and young fawns experimenting with new legs do not have the ability to get out of harm’s way, or a way to keep up with the herd.

The mama deer (doe) knows that her youngster is at a disadvantage, so instinctively she finds a secluded safe location to hide her young while she is off feeding. If she has more than one baby which is quite normal for White-tailed deer, she will safely place them in separate secluded areas – usually within 200 feet of each other.  Since the young fawns have no scent, and the gift of camouflage due to the spotted coloring and reddish brown fur, they blend into their surroundings, safe from predators.

Mama will return periodically to feed her baby and sometimes to change the secure location. This behavior can continue until the fawn is three weeks old!

When You See A Fawn, What Should You Do?

In a single word – NOTHING! Simply enjoy the moment and move on. It is important that the fawn remains safe, and ALONE.

Do not share the fawn’s location with anyone.

Keep all children and pets away from the area.

Walk away from the fawn and if s/he attempts to follow you, emulate the mama deer and gently push on the fawn’s shoulders until it lies down again and slowly walk away.

Do not remove the deer from its location.

The only time we as humans should be concerned, is if the fawn is visibly injured, very agitated and running around crying for 8 hours or more, with no humans or pets in the vicinity, or is lying unresponsive with legs splayed away from the body.  In one recent occurrence, a doe was hit by a vehicle and her fawn was curled up near mama’s broken body – another scenario where the fawn would need assistance to survive. If you find a fawn in any of these situations, please contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area for advice on how to proceed.

To locate a wildlife rehabilitator in CT, click here.

Credits for content: MD Department of Natural Resources (DNR), CT Department of Environmental Protection