The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Don’t unintentionally orphan baby wildlife

Tim Kroening holds a degree in wildlife biology from Colorado State University. He works as a district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Teller County. Contact Tim at 227-5281. TIM KROENING

It’s that special time of year again when we start to see young wildlife, especially deer fawns. Who isn’t touched by the miracle of birth? And the sight of a newborn fawn on wobbly legs is especially touching. Seeing baby wildlife certainly is one of the perks of my job.

I encourage all of you to take advantage of the unique access we enjoy here in Teller County and view all our young wildlife.

But I have a big favor to ask: Please help me protect them. It’s easier than you might think, if you just remember these valuable rules: keep your distance, enjoy a quick glimpse and leave. Most important, resist the urge to “rescue an orphan.” Here’s why.

The peak of fawning season for mule deer is mid-June, with a range from May to July.

As the 200-day gestational period ends and a pregnant doe gets ready to give birth, she will move to a fawning area. These secluded spots can be in a meadow, a neighborhood park or your backyard — any place the doe feels safe.

Upon birth, an average fawn will weigh about 5-10 pounds, and they will stand within the first 12 hours after birth. However, they will be clumsy and will not be able to move very quickly. Because of this, fawns can be easy targets for predators like coyotes, bears and mountain lions.

However, deer have a few tricks up their sleeve to protect their fawns from predation.

During the early weeks of life, does will hide their fawns in safe places while they go off to forage. This can be alongside a log, in tall grass, or underneath a deck.

You might be scratching your head wondering why a mother would feel safe leaving its newborn fawn alone for hours at a time. The reason for this is actually ingenious.

Fawns are reddish brown in color with white spots – nature’s camouflage. These spots will fade after the first month of life and by that time they will be much more mobile. Fawns will also have little to no scent at birth. The mother will be very careful when she returns to her young.

This behavior is important to understand. Otherwise, you might think fawns are accidentally orphaned. Every year I receive calls from concerned citizens about wildlife, specifically fawns, that have been “abandoned.” Many of these well-meaning citizens are tempted to “help” a young animal by picking it up or trying to feed it.

It is critical that people understand humans are poor substitutes for an animal’s natural parents.

In almost every case, picking up baby wildlife and bring them to wildlife rehabilitation facilities is the wrong thing to do. When we handle young wildlife, we transfer our scent to the animal. Our smell can cause its mother not to recognize its own baby. This can result in true abandonment of healthy offspring, especially deer.

If you find young wildlife, enjoy a quick glimpse, leave the animal where it is and keep pets out of the area. Quietly observe the animal from a distance using binoculars and don’t hover so close that the wild parents are afraid to return to the area.

In general, if 24 hours go by and the parent does not return, it is possible the newborn wildlife was abandoned or the parent, sadly, is dead.

In that case, please call our office 719-227-5200 and we will work with a certified wildlife rehabilitation center to get aid for the wildlife, if possible. Please do not handle them yourself.

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2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

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The Gazette, Colorado Springs