Most people think of spring as the time for new life but you might have noticed some “spots” still running around this summer. These adorable young deer are spunky and fun to watch but an unfortunate side effect of living in our beautiful area is that sometimes we find these young fawns are injured or have been orphaned. Do you know what to do?
Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue is in its 4th season as an independent rescue facility based out of Loomis. It is the ONLY active fawn rescue program serving Sacramento, Placer and Yolo Counties. Licensed by the Department of Fish & Wildlife, this non-profit community supported organization staffs qualified and trained personnel to rehabilitate fawns with the goal of returning healthy animals back into the wild.
Founder Diane Nicholas worked for several years with Gold Country Wildlife Rescue and now fields the more than 800 calls per season Kindred Spirits receives.
“It’s up to us to be stewards.” says Nicholas who visits classrooms and attends community meetings to explain how people can coexist with deer, which typically means preventing deer from feeling comfortable around humans and their pets. “Once a deer is no longer afraid of people or dogs, they have much less chance of surviving in the wild.” According to Nicholas, a wide variety of illness and injuries bring the baby deer to her facility.
“What do I do if I see a fawn that appears to be sick, injured or orphaned?”
It is NOT unusual for a fawn to be left for several hours. Mother’s will often leave their fawns while grazing for food. If you are concerned the fawn has been orphaned please observe it from a distance for at least 4 HOURS before contacting Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue.
If the fawn is clearly INJURED or SICK please CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY! Our service is available at NO CHARGE 24 HOURS a day, 7 DAYS a week. (530) 889-5822
• Keep It Warm and Safe. Should you find this animal on the side of the road or a trail, the most important thing you can do for the fawn is secure it in a safe, dark environment.
A dog crate or a large box will work as a temporary home. Make sure the fawn is kept warm with a hot water bottle or sock filled with rice which has been micro waved for 3 minutes then wrapped in a towel. Cover the fawn with a towel or blanket then place the hot water bottle/rice sock next to the fawn. Make sure the fawn is away from human noise and domestic pets.
• DO NOT give any food, water or medicine to the fawn. The wrong food or medicine can do more harm than good.
• DO NOT care for a sick, injured, or orphaned fawn yourself?
Rehabilitating fawns is illegal for members of the public. Kindred Spirits is licensed to care for fawns through the California Department of Fish & Game.
Remember that no matter how adorable and cute a fawn is, they are still a wild animal - and deserve to remain so.
“There is nothing more rewarding than releasing them back into the wild and watching them trot off to live their lives,” Nicholas said.
Learn more about Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue. : 24 Hour Hotline:
530-889-5822
www.kindredspiritsfawnrescue.org
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