Wildlife centre pleads: don't kidnap 'abandoned' baby deer

If you see a baby deer that looks abandoned, don't kidnap it.

That's the message from a Comox Valley wildlife rescue society as deer fawns are about to be seen more often with the end of spring.

"People see the fawns alone, either curled up or standing alone by the side of the road and they automatically go to, 'well, they must be an abandoned animal,'" Reg Westcott with MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre told All Points West host Jason D'Souza.

"Of course, with human biology we spend a lot of time with our children, but deer biology, they live where predators are and mom actually avoids her babies."

Westcott says by leaving the fawns for a while and going out to find food, the mother is actually protecting her baby: the mother has a scent that attracts predators and by staying away, she reduces the risk to the baby.

Fawns are biologically wired to lay low and camouflage and actually spend most of their time alone. The mother usually just drops in to clean them and feed them.

Westcott says a truly abandoned fawn in need of help can be detected by a few signs: they might have faeces on their bottoms, cry out in hunger, lie on theirbacks with legs extended or continually approach humans.

The centre currently has 10 fawns in its care. Workers will raise them for a year and then release the animalsnext spring.

Listen to the full interview:

With files from CBC Radio One's All Points West