What began as a routine call for Strathroy-Caradoc police quickly turned into an unexpected wildlife rescue after officers discovered two orphaned baby fawns near a rural Ontario roadside.
Const. Aaron Fonville responded to a report of a deer struck by a vehicle along a rural roadway. After arriving on scene, he returned to ensure the animal was deceased and not suffering.
“That’s when I saw a little baby fawn walking towards me,” Fonville said. “I bent down and started putting it [in a safe spot], and then I heard more noise and saw another second baby deer.”
The two fawns were found hidden in the grass near where their mother had been killed. Fonville called for backup, blankets and assistance as officers launched a temporary rescue operation.
“We wrapped him up and brought him back to the station,” he said.
At the detachment, officers quickly shifted from policing duties to caregiving while arranging for specialized wildlife support.
“A couple of the other officers Googled how to take care of baby fawn,” Fonville said.
The animals were later transferred to Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge, where they are now receiving specialized care.
“The two that we have there are in calf hutches right now,” said Chantal Theijn with the refuge. “They’re in quarantine for the next two weeks, and once they’ve cleared quarantine, they go into a really large enclosure that’s more like natural habitat.”
Theijn said staff continue to care for the animals while encouraging natural behaviours such as grazing and browsing before they are eventually released back into the wild in September.
White-tailed deer are currently in fawning season across southwestern Ontario, with most births taking place between late May and early summer.
The refuge sees an increase in young deer arriving this time of year, often after their mothers have been struck and killed by vehicles.
However, Theijn said another growing issue is people unnecessarily removing fawns from the wild.
“Another really big cause of fawns having to come into care is literally people abducting fawns,” she said. “If the fawn is not actively bleeding, laying next to a dead mom or looks terrible, then we leave it alone.”
Fonville said the experience is one he will not soon forget.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen that,” he said.
The two fawns are expected to remain at the refuge for several months before eventually being released back into the wild.
