Friday, June 7, 2013

Newborn Fawn

Years and years of wildlife photography, 1000's of miles on the odometer, and hours upon hours I can never get back (or want to), searching for creatures big and small is how I spend my free time. A wishlist in my head of encounters yet to be discovered is born, dreaming of once-in-a-lifetime moments like this one I had this morning. Magical is all I can say...

I have only seen in pictures, a fawn barely a few hours old, hiding from predators as mom is away, a survival instinct never taught, but bred into their wild genes.

Note: Newborn fawns have almost no body odor and their reddish brown coat with white spots make young fawns almost invisible to predators. Fawns lie motionless on the ground surrounded by low vegetation. The fawn’s natural instinct is to freeze even when approached by another animal. As fawns grow and mature, they will initially freeze, but they jump up and bound away.
Please don't try to "rescue" an abandoned fawn. They are not without their mother. She must leave her baby to feed herself, as the fawn is not yet strong enough to go with her. The mother always returns!