3 Baby Deer Rescued In Town Of Smithtown

SMITHTOWN, NY — Three baby deer were rescued over a 36-hour period by Town of Smithtown Animal Control Officers and the Smithtown Animal Shelter, town officials announced Wednesday. Each fawn was recovered from imminent danger, given the necessary triage and taken in by the Save the Animals Rescue Foundation, where they will be nursed back to full health, according to the Town.

The first call came in after a commercial lawnmower did not notice the newborn fawn, officials said. The landscaper immediately called the Smithtown Animal Shelter, which sent animal control officers to help. The baby deer was given IV fluids and taken to STAR Foundation for medical care.

The second call came in from a concerned resident who noticed a fawn's mother had not yet come back to care for her baby. Animal control officers found the baby, which appeared lifeless and was covered in maggots. The officers quickly hydrated the baby deer by feeding it from a bottle. The baby, which promptly began to perk up, is now being card for at the STAR Foundation.

The third, most recent call, came in when a mother deer gave birth too close to a pool. The fawn fell into the water, severing the umbilical cord, which caused it to suffer a hernia. Smithtown animal control officers wrapped the fawn's wounds and cared for the baby until the STAR Foundation arrived to take the fawn in.

It's fawn season, as mother deer give birth in late May through June, according to Smithtown officials. The first three months of a fawn's life are critical for survival and often based on the quality of habitat, hiding cover and food supply. Often, a mother will give birth in a heavily-wooded area. However, large patches of un-mowed grasses or fields provide an ideal cover from predators and are surrounded with a deer's food supply. Residents or property owners should use caution when mowing fields in the months of May and June, officials said. A fawn whose tips of the ears are curled back is dehydrated and in need of help, according to the animal control officers.

All four of the Town of Smithtown animal control officers possess a number of veterinary and wildlife rescue certifications. They are responsible for rescuing the various vertebrates found on Long Island. If you notice a loose domestic or wild animal in distress, such as geese, owls, deer, or
even a loose pig, contact the Smithtown Animal Shelter at 631-360-7575. The Town's "very compassionate and experienced" animal control officers will then be dispatched. The officers are also responsible for the Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) Feral Cat program.