I can still feel it's warmth against my chest, see it's little nose twitching with the fine white hairs that grow around it's nostrils. I can still envision his/her sweet round grey eyes that have yet to change color like a human newborn's would. She felt so fragile in my arms, far more fragile than a real baby. So lanky and light. At the time I didn't know I was a kidnapper, I was running on maternal instinct. Driving home I spotted a tiny spotted fluff ball laying all bawled up flat against the grass on a the bank of someones yard too close to the road for my comfort. Knowing nothing about deer I thought it had been abandoned or even thought maybe mom got hit and had to leave baby behind. Turning around I jumped out of the car and ran over to the teeny tiny baby who was no bigger than a human baby. I wrapped it in a vest I had in the back of my car and picked it up, speaking softly and cradling the sweet soul with one both arms. It didn't move, just let me pick it up and hold it gentle. The above picture is the baby sticking it's little head out of my winter vest.
Looking down at the wee fawn I started to pull away but instinct hit again... what if I was doing the wrong thing!? So... when in doubt call your Daddy. My Dad who has lots of experience with deer was I think very surprised by his daughters woes of holding a newborn fawn and told me to put it right back where I found it. That mom was watching and would be there to get it, not to worry and to do the right thing. So putting the baby back is what I did... unwrapped it from my vest, placed it gently right back in the flattened spot of grass it was in a few moments ago, said a little prayer for the creature and left.
All the way home I felt horrible! the maternal part of me was screaming... but my heart was trusting my dads words.
This part of my day was the part where I have a little time to myself. Oldest is in school, middle son in preschool for 2 hours, and baby asleep in the back seat. When I got home, wanting to know the way of deer, I researched and conversed with Mr. Google. Mr. Google led me to a really great site from a wildlife expert that explained when a baby deer is born it is unable to keep up with mom. Being slow and weak it can be easily targeted by predators... so no matter where mom is at that moment, it lays it's baby down flat and tells it in it's own deer way to "stay". Then later, sometimes after dark mom will return and claim her baby when the time is right and she is confident she can do it without bringing harm to her child. Reading this, I felt so much better as baby was not injured, no blood or wounded limbs... nothing appeared wrong at all... so this is what must have happened. I was and am so glad I was only an "almost" kidnapper, not an actual one! if the mother in me had it's way though I would be bottle feeding that creature right now, cradling it in my arms, and keeping it in a playpen!
When time came to go and pick up from preschool I slowed down to where I had left the baby fawn and taking a deep breath hoped not to see it... and I didn't! I smiled and said another little prayer that the baby was safe with mom and hopefully he/she is right now safe in mamas fur suckling and thriving in it's new found world. That is my hope, and wish, and warmest thought... but part of me is still deeply worried for the little one, that someone else might have been stupid and unknowing and picked up the baby. Hopefully there aren't many others as observant or aware or their surroundings while driving as I am, and mama led her baby off to wooded safety.
{{For all of you worrying about my scent on the baby, research says that this makes no matter. That it is a old wives tale and that mom will absolutely attend to her baby after my scent has been on it. After all, human scent is everywhere and on just about everything, she is a mom and that is her baby and no scent is gonna keep her from her child. At this point I am feeling worse for messing with nature than leaving baby behind. Lesson learned. If you would like to read more about where I got my information from, you can do so here.}}
The day continued in true Ashlie Blake wildlife fashion. The rain let up, patches of blue appeared in the sky... and as did the rain let up so did the turtles come out. Here is Fang... our latest turtle rescue. Fang was really unique as he had two itty bitty fangs like snake has. I have never seen this on all the painter turtles I have rescued! he also had super long claws and the front of his shell was jagged. Perhaps on his side of the swamp he was a real fiesty one! And no, it wasn't a different species... it was a painter no doubt about it, just a one of a kind kind of guy.
And if that weren't enough there were two snappers who need assistance! sheesh! it was a freaking zoo today!
I swear people think I'm crazy when I'm out helping these preastoric creatures! and I am... really I am cause they could take a toe off if they wanted to... but I gently kick them (you can't hurt them they are like a miniature tank!) back across the street. I always have my camera slung over my shoulder so when people aren't thinking I'm mad in the head, they just think I'm a photographer. Which I would be if I wasn't a painter, then again why can't I be both!?
