Baby deer found alone outside may seem like they need a helping hand, but B.C. conservation officers say they are very likely fine.
The BC Conservation Officer Service says it receives numerous calls every year from people who believe they have found an abandoned fawn when in fact it is normal for baby deer to be left alone at times.
“…interfering can cause more harm than good,” the conservation service wrote in a Facebook post.
It says does often leave their young alone when they go to forage for food. If someone finds and moves a fawn during that time, they could be orphaning it.
“Moving a fawn can result in it not being able to reunite with its mother, thus greatly reducing its chances of survival,” the conservation service wrote.
It says the best thing people can do for baby deer is leave them alone.
“Don’t be a fawn-napper,” it says.
Taking a fawn into one’s care is also illegal under the Wildlife Act. If someone is concerned about an injured or abandoned fawn, they can report it to the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
READ ALSO: Conservation seizes fawn illegally kept captive in Vancouver Island home