NH officials: Leave fawns and wildlife alone
If you see a baby deer on its own, New Hampshire officials want you to leave it alone.
Most times when a young fawn is by itself, it has not been orphaned or abandoned and the mother doe is not far away, the Department of Fish and Game said in a statement.
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“Adult deer can be easily detected by predators due to their scent and large size,” officials said in the statement. “Because of this, does will spend long periods of time away from their fawns to disassociate their scent from the fawn and keep them safe from predators. For the first month of life, the doe will only visit the fawn a few times a day to nurse quickly before leaving again, although usually not going too far.”
Well-meaning “but misguided” people who remove the fawns are usually taking the babies away from their mothers, the department said.
This is not the first time officials have warned the public against interfering with young wildlife no matter how well-intentioned. Yellowstone Park officials issued a press release to visitors in May after the death of a bison calf that was put in a car by tourists who believed the animal looked cold. The same month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cautioned New England beach-goers against taking close-up pictures — including selfies — of seal pups while on the region’s coast.
If you see a fawn and are concerned it has been abandoned or orphaned, officials said to contact the fish and game department — never take it in. It is illegal to take in New Hampshire wildlife without a rehabilitation license.
“Improper care of injured or orphaned wildlife often leads to their sickness or death,” officials said. “For example, deer fawns that have been fed cow’s milk will develop severe diarrhea (scours). Every year, the state’s only licensed fawn rehabilitator has several fawns die from scours because they have been improperly fed or cared for by the public.”
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