06/01/2026
Every spring we get flooded with “abandoned” fawn calls that are actually perfectly healthy babies waiting for mom to return. Please leave fawns where they are unless you see a deceased lactating doe nearby, the fawn is visibly injured, covered in flies, crying nonstop for hours, or wandering weak and disoriented.
Mom places her baby in a specific spot for a reason — fawns are born with very little scent and their instinct is to stay quiet and still to avoid predators. Doe will often stay away during the day and only return periodically to feed them so she doesn’t draw attention to the baby.
What looks abandoned is usually completely normal. Unfortunately, many well-meaning people “rescue” healthy fawns that never needed help in the first place. If you are unsure, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before touching or moving the baby.
Please help keep wildlife wild 💚
— Whispering Woods Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Inc.
