Brian Lindsay sent us this wonderful picture of an adorable fawn, taken by his son Chris recently near Burnt River in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Brian’s wife and kids were trying to save a gosling with a broken leg when they came across the fawn hiding under a tree.
The fawn didn’t try to run away and its mother was nowhere in sight. Although the Lindsays were concerned that the fawn might be injured or sick, they already had an injured young goose to help. So Chris snapped a photo and they went on their way.
The Lindsays first contacted Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden about the injured gosling, who gave them some helpful advice and contact information for Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw.
They took the injured gosling to Shades of Hope and, while they were there, they raised their concerns about the fawn. Refuge staff reassured them that the fawn’s condition and where he was hiding was normal behaviour.
Later at dusk, the Lindsays saw the fawn walking around before he returned to his hiding place and his mother returned. They hope to see him again in the future.
If you encounter an injured animal in the wild, don’t take it home and try to take care of it yourself — it’s against the law.
Instead — as the Lindsays did — contact a wildlife rehabilitator. They are authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to care for wildlife in distress until they can be released back into the wild. These volunteers work in a range of environments, from a large facility to their own backyard.
For a list of wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario — including contact information and the types of species they support — use this handy list.
Thanks to Brian for sharing this photo and kawarthaNOW kudos to the Lindsay family (Chris, Cathy, Michelle) and Greg Atkinson for taking the time and effort to help injured wildlife.
