DEC cautions public against disturbing newborn fawns and other wildlife

If you care, leave it there. That’s what the DEC is urging the public to do as white-taild deer are giving birth this time of year to their newborn fawns.

This concept applies to all other wildlife as well. "This is the time of year New Yorkers are more likely to see young or newborn animals in their yards and mistakenly think these animals need help," Commissioner Seggos said.

"The recently fledged birds or baby rabbits in your yard likely have parents hiding nearby keeping an eye on their offspring. Please resist the urge to touch these wild animals and instead enjoy the encounter from a safe distance. Remember - if you care, leave it there."

The DEC stresses that it is completely normal for a fawn to be left at a distance from its mother.

If you happen to encounter a newborn fawn, DEC says it’s fine to take a picture, but do not attempt to feed or provide any sort of care for the animal.

During spring months, animal sightings and encounters are common. Young wildlife quickly venture into the world on wobbly legs or are unable to fly on their own.

While most young wildlife learn survival skills from one or both parents, some receive little or no care. Often, wild animals stay away from their young, especially when people or pets are present, the DEC says.

For these young animals, the perils of survival are a natural part of life in the wild. Unfortunately, well-intentioned individuals may attempt to care for young wild animals they believe to be abandoned or in need of assistance.

These human interactions typically do more harm than good, the DEC warns.

For example, white-tailed deer fawns are born during late May and early June. Although fawns can walk shortly after birth, they spend most of their first several days lying still in tall grass, leaf litter, or sometimes relatively unconcealed.

During this period, DEC says a fawn is usually left alone by the adult female (doe), except when nursing. People occasionally find a lone fawn and mistakenly assume it has been abandoned, which is rare.

Fawns should be left alone. If human presence is detected by the doe, the doe may delay its next visit to nurse. A fawn's best chance to survive is to be raised by the adult doe.

Fawns nurse three to four times a day, usually for less than 30 minutes at a time, but otherwise the doe keeps her distance, which helps reduce the chance a predator will follow her to the fawn. A fawn's protective coloration and ability to remain motionless help it avoid detection by predators and people.

By the end of its second week of a fawn's life, it begins to move about and spend more time with the doe. It also begins to eat grass and leaves.

At about 10 weeks of age, fawns are no longer dependent on milk, although they continue to nurse occasionally into the fall.

Image via the New York State DEC.