By Evan H.
When a piece of candy is put in front of a child’s face, nine times out of ten, he reacts with excitement and interest. The child could care less whether the candy is good or bad for his health; his impulse is to just grab it and eat it.
Similarly, when somebody sees a baby fawn looking lonely and disturbed, their first reaction is to express some sort of care and comfort toward that animal. However, what may seem like care can be detrimental and may result in the fawn being abandoned by its mother.
“We are wired to nurture and care for all forms of life,” said Susan Runge, Family Foundation School therapeutic counselor. “The instinct to love and care for the fawn is instantaneous and intense and we may feel guilty if we walk away. The only way to resolve this is to understand that the fawn will have a better chance of survival without our interference. It will feel wrong, however, the way parents feel after dropping their child off and driving away from The Family School.”
From the beginning of May to the end of June it is not unusual to see a fawn lying by itself. After birth, the fawns have the ability to walk; however, they spend their first several days lying still. This is because during this phase, the fawn is left alone by its mother except when nursing.
So what is the big deal about petting a baby fawn? There is a very big deal. If the mother detects any sort of human presence, she might not return to nurse the fawn, which could result in the fawn dying.
On May 28, a baby fawn was spotted on the FFS softball field. Students reacted immediately and were talking with each other about how cute it was. Many students even went outside to get a closer look.
The staff asked all students to stay away from the fawn, but the students still had an urge to go and see it.
After about twenty minutes, the fawn got up and ran down the hill towards the woods where staff Myron VanDemark saw that the fawn went back to its mother. “Nature took its course and the fawn went back to its mother. It was a beautiful experience to witness,” said VanDemark.
