Caring citizens help save fawn’s life

July 15, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
A Bolton woman and Nobleton man helped save a life.
Kaitlyn Hesketh of Bolton and Marc Fike of Nobleton were driving on King Road Friday night at roughly 10 p.m. when they saw a fawn staggering in the middle of the road. It must have just gotten hit by another vehicle moments before.
Both Hesketh and Fike stayed with the fawn at the side of the road, trying to get assistance.
Hesketh pulled the baby deer on her lap and surveyed his injuries. The deer appeared to have some minor flesh wounds and a broken back leg. He still had his spots and couldn’t be more than 3-4 months old.
Fike called York Regional Police and then 404 Vet clinic in Newmarket, who offered some alternatives. An injured deer isn’t a priority for police. Fike got the numbers for a couple of area sanctuaries – Procyon Wildlife in Beeton and Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw.
“So I sat in the ditch with the deer for over an hour waiting and it was freezing out and I was getting eaten alive by bugs,” Hesketh said.
Hesketh said she considered taking the deer home to care for it herself, but decided against it.
Fike offered to take the deer back to his house for the night as he only lived five minutes down the road. Hesketh carried him to her car, put him in the back seat and drove it to his house. I pulled up to his house and got the deer inside and on his couch. I sat with the deer for a while and calmed him down.
Fike said he was up with the animal most of the night, watching him drift in and out of sleep. He was surprised the animal responded to his gentle pats.
On Saturday morning he made the trek to Pefferlaw and dropped off the animal. He contacted them later in the day and refuge staff said they casted the leg it was standing on its own. They are following up with treatment this week on its hip and trying to see if there was any head trauma.
Once recovered, the animal will be released back into the wild.
Fike pointed out as development grows in the GTA, we’re encroaching on our wildlife habitat even more.
He said typically, a fawn isn’t alone and the parents were likely nearby.
According to the Shades of Hope website, fawns feed only at dusk and dawn when the mother returns. If the fawn is lying quietly, it is probably not orphaned. If the fawn is crying and wandering, it may need assistance. They have a “distress call” app that can be downloaded and played, that will lead the mother to the animal. Another doe may adopt the fawn if it has lost her own baby or has a fawn close to the same age.
For more, visit http://www.shadesofhope.ca or for Procyon, http://www.procyonwildlife.com.