The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife thanked a concerned citizen this week for doing the right thing — not intervening with a fawn he thought was in distress.
The man had observed the fawn wandering and calling out near his home. But instead of approaching the baby animal, he contacted a public safety dispatcher, who connected him with a wildlife professional.
It turned out that the fawn didn’t need to be rescued after all.
That evening, the man watched as a doe emerged and reunited with the fawn. It turns out that a doe can often leave her babies alone for many hours while she goes out to find food for herself before returning later on to nurse.
Just like humans, it seems that mother deer are inclined to teach their children that whining won’t get them fed any faster.
Maine wildlife authorities say that people should never interfere with fawns, even if they’re alone. If you spot a fawn w could be injured or otherwise in trouble, you can contact a game warden via the appropriate regional office.
