This past July, a family camping near the Ohio River stopped short when they noticed a little animal swimming in the current.
The concerned campers spoke with people at a neighboring campsite, who told them the animal — a fawn — had been struggling for
almost an hour, unable to reach the shore. The deer’s mother was nowhere to be found, and without intervention, the baby was in big trouble.
The campers knew what they had to do. One of them jumped in the water and carefully guided the fawn to land, where another was waiting to gently pull her from the river.
In need of expert help, the family contacted Cordy's Castle Wildlife Rescue and arranged for the deer to be transported into their care.
Safe with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, the fawn could finally relax. She received plenty of food and water, along with medical care. Within days, rescuers noticed her energy returning.
“Her weight and general health have picked up, fleas and ticks are gone, and her eyes are starting to clear,” a representative from the rescue told The Dodo. “She's started eating leafy greens and gets a bottle twice a day. She's learning her enclosure and the boundaries and becoming less stressed.”
As her health improved, the fawn’s personality began revealing itself.
“She's very gentle and, for the most part, very calm, but very vocal when she knows that it's time for her bottle,” the representative said.
Though this fawn clearly needed help, not all lonesome fawns necessarily require rescuing. According to rescue team members, most fawns spotted alone in the wild are just waiting for their mothers to return and shouldn’t be bothered.
“Every now and then a special case comes along where they need help, and it's obvious,” the representative said. “My advice is to always call a licensed rehab before you take a healthy-looking baby animal.”
Luckily for this fawn, she found the care she needed, and she’s on her way to brighter days ahead.
