Imagine you wake up and put on your running shoes and head out for your morning stroll, and out of the treeline comes a tiny baby deer that looks like it’s just days old. The little fawn comes right up to you and starts sucking on your ankles, it’s so hungry. What would you do?
That’s what happened to the lady in this video. And good for us, she pulled out her camera and documented the journey and her efforts to help this cute little speckled fawn.
Amber Starr Westphal headed up her favorite hiking trail on a normal day in North Carolina. But when this tiny little fawn stumbled out of the woods, both of their lives changed.
The little fawn, cried out to her as if to say, “Help!” And on closer inspection, the fawn was piebald with the most amazing coloring. Piebald fur has a “pattern of unpigmented spots on a pigmented background of hair,” and it makes for a beautiful coat. This charming little guy is adorable.
Amber got out her phone and started documenting the incident. Little did she know this was going to capture the hearts and minds of millions online.
The little fawn stumbled right up to her and Amber realized he was hungry. The fawn started nibbling and sucking on her ankles. What was she to do about this? Where was his Mother?
Amber remembered hearing a little information about deer in the wild. The mother will go out foraging and leave the little ones behind. Then mom will return and feed the baby her mother’s milk.
So Amber was hesitant but she knew she didn’t want to interrupt mother nature. If she did interject, she may cause the mom to neglect the fawn. So Amber went on her hike, but that little cutie was running around in her head. Who could resist this lovable little spotted fawn?
That night, Amber couldn’t sleep. She was thinking about that little fawn and wondering if the mother ever returned. She recruited her son to go on a search party. With flashlights and a little luck, they might just find him.
And they found him. Still without a mother. They decided to rescue this little one and get him the help he needed to survive.
They named him Scout.
Amber’s son bundled him up in his shirt and they headed home. It was too late for the wildlife rescue non-profits to answer their phones so Scout needed a place to stay and a good meal.
Amber fashioned a rubber dishwashing glove into a nipple and Scout drank his fill. They put him in a little birdcage for the night and hoped that by morning he would be alive and ready to go to a wildlife rescue.
Amber said, “He almost didn’t make it a couple of times.” But in the morning they packed him into the car and headed to Turner’s Deer Camp Fawn Rehabilitation.
Turner’s Deer Camp Fawn Rehabilitation is a non-profit that does just what it says, wildlife rehabilitation. Turner’s returned Amber’s call and said bring that little fawn to our rehabilitation oasis.
Amber brought scout to Turner’s and found they currently housed many other little fawns that folks have rescued. Turner’s will nurse these little cuties back to their full health and then release them into the wild when they get to an age when they can fend for themselves.
Turner’s Facebook page has a post where they answered questions about rehabilitating deer. They are a licensed non-profit that rehabilitates little fawns from March through December each year. They take in “injured, orphaned, and abandoned fawn from all over the state.”
“All of (the fawns) are released here on our farm and we leave the pens open and continue to offer feed through the winter to help the transition process.”
Many YouTuber’s are wowed by this little fawn’s piebald coat.
“Sincerely one of the most striking deer I’ve ever seen. He’s gorgeous.”
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“He’s super rare, & super beautiful. I would have really struggled to let him go.”
Amber was happy to report that Scout was raised up healthy and released to the wild.
Turner’s is a non-profit that works due to donations from the public.
Click on the video to watch this amazing story unfold!
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