A story about compassion, and knowing when to hold back.
I was feeding two baby deer, and I knew:
These little ones will never go back to the wild.
They were tiny, spotted, barely a few days old when they were brought to us. One was found curled up in tall grass. The other — hiding near the edge of a field. Two different people, same story.
They thought the fawns were abandoned. They meant well.
And so, I did. I gave them the bottle. I stroked their soft heads. I wiped the milk off their noses. They were safe now. Fed. Warm.
But then came the sadness. That kind that sits in your stomach and doesn’t leave.
Because I knew what they had lost. They will never be wild again!
The moment a human pick up a wild animal or bird, the mother — waiting nearby — is forced to abandon the baby. She doesn’t recognize the smell. The animal has been imprinted with the human smell and this is not safe in the wilderness.
The voice of the “saver”
I didn’t think about that when I first held her.
I didn’t think that her mother would come back to look for her baby.
I didn’t think…
Now, I think about it every time.
Roe deer mothers do not abandon their fawns.
They leave them hidden in grass for hours — that’s normal behavior. The baby is scentless, and her mother only returns a few times a day to feed. She stays away to avoid attracting predators.
So, if you find a fawn alone:
Don’t touch, don’t feed, don’t move the animal. Don’t post a selfie. Don’t leave your dog nearby.
Just walk away.
Or, if you’re unsure, use your phone — and call for advice before you act. Take a picture, and if you have internet access use google maps to share location.
There are rescue centers and wildlife experts who can help you figure out what’s really going on.
Act only if you see that the little animal is in danger: on the road, mother is near and injured.
The mother deer is “talking”
I came back.
The grass was still warm where I left my baby. I made the soft clicking sound she knows.
But her scent was gone. And I could smell something else. Something I know means danger. A car, a human.
I searched. I waited. Hoping to hear the voice of my baby
But nothing came.
