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RALEIGH, N.C. (May 27) – A lone fawn is not necessarily an abandoned fawn. That is the message from biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission who would like to remind people not to approach, touch or remove any white-tailed deer fawns they encounter this spring. “It is the nature of deer to leave their fawns for hours at a time, often not returning to their fawns until after dark,” said Wib Owen, section manager for the Wildlife Commission. “If you encounter a fawn in the wild, do not pick it up. Leave the area immediately — its mother is close by, probably out foraging.” From late April to early June, white-tailed does in North Carolina are giving birth. Left alone, these fawns have an excellent chance of survival. With their dappled coats and lack of scent, they are well camouflaged in the wild and usually remain undetected by predators. The biggest threat a fawn faces in its first few weeks of life is not a predator —at least not the four-legged kind. Each year, an increasing number of fawns are taken out of the wild by well- intentioned individuals who mistakenly assume they are orphaned or have been abandoned. Rarely is this the case, however. Misguided attempts to “save” seemingly abandoned fawns typically do more harm than good. With the exception of trained wildlife rehabilitators, most people are ill-equipped to care for a fawn, so the majority of fawns taken into captivity eventually die. If a fawn has been removed from the wild, Owen advised taking the fawn back to where it was found — but only if the fawn has been in captivity for less than 48 hours, the maximum time when a doe usually will return for her fawn. After 48 hours, however, the fawn should not be returned to the wild but taken to a certified wildlife rehabilitator. Besides being biologically irresponsible to remove a fawn from the wild, it is also illegal. Only certified wildlife rehabilitators have permits to keep white-tailed deer in captivity. “In the first few weeks of life, a fawn is completely dependent on its mother’s milk and the antibodies the milk provides to keep it well nourished and free of disease,” Owen said. “Fawn survival in captivity is extremely low. Their best chance for survival is to be left in their native habitat.” To
obtain the phone number for the nearest wildlife rehabilitator,
call the Wildlife
Commission’s
Division of Wildlife Management, (919) 733-7291 or visit the Coexisting
with Wildlife section. |
