Deer herds are birthing fawns this time of year. The California Department of Fish & Wildlife released an advisory on Friday, asking people to leave them alone.
When adult female deer are foraging for food, they will often leave their babies in tall grass or brush because it is too dangerous for them to come along. But well meaning people who encounter these fawns think they are abandoned and try to rescue them.
Wildlife Program Manager for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jeff Stoddard says that that’s kind of like kidnapping.
"It's a traumatic event for the animal," says Stoddard. "The mother will spend a lot of time, multiple days, sometimes looking for that fawn."
And when fawns are taken from the wild and separated from their mothers, they are unable to learn the survival skills they need to live in their natural environments.
Disease concerns also limit where fawns can go to be rehabilitated. That means many could end up being euthanized.
Stoddard adds that, "being a wild animal is tough. A lot of fawns won't make it through the first year. But if you take it from the wild, you're reducing any chance it does have of succeeding."
So if you see a fawn on your next hike, you can probably assume it is fine.
