Bambi, is that you?
A fawn, who was found in the B.C. Okanagan next to her dead mother, is getting by with a little help from some friends at the Tri Lake Animal Hospital in Winfield, B.C.
The baby was found in an orchard near Oyama on Wednesday by Louvian Schon, who happens to run the Okanagan Humane Society. Schon rushed the animal to the hospital, where they've named the fawn Joan, and have been nursing her with goat milk. (Check out the ADORABLE video above.)
UPDATE - May 30, 2014: Baby Joan has found a rehabilitation home at the Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley, the hospital's Cara Reed told HuffPost B.C. "She is eating well and the issues with her peeing look like they have resolved themselves without the need for surgery," she said in an email.
The mother could have died after being hit by a car or died in a difficult labour, said the clinic. CBC News reports that the fawn was still wet when it arrived at the hospital.
There's still a tough road ahead for little Joan, as she is dealing with "patent urachus," a defect that causes urine to leak out of her belly button, It happens when the original connection between the bladder and umbilical cord doesn't close properly after birth.
The deer is in danger of infection, but she's on antibiotics and staff are watching her carefully, the hospital's Cara Reed told The Huffington Post B.C. in an email. If the hole doesn't close up by itself, then surgery is an option, she explained.
The hospital is working with B.C. Conservation to find a rehabilitation home for Joan.
Baby Deer Rescued In B.C.
What to do if you find a young deer in the bush:
Deer leave their young for long periods of time (up to 10-12 hours) while they are off eating. The young are built to hide from predators, and in the case of deer fawns, don't develop scent until they are several weeks old.
If you come across a deer fawn on its own, LEAVE IT ALONE, DO NOT TOUCH IT. Deer are very sensitive to the smell of a predator and will abandon their fawn if it smells like a human.
DO NOT PICK UP THE FAWN. Fawns will play dead when handled. Their breathing becomes very shallow, they go limp and for all intents and purposes appear dead. This is their natural reaction to being handled by a predator.
If you notice a fawn, stay far away from it, but you can keep and eye on it. Mother deer can see, smell and hear you, and will not return to their fawn if they sense your presence.
Source: B.C. Conservation
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