This little guy was found by a couple who live in Burnsville. The lady had been seeing a mama deer and her two fawn around their home. Then, a couple of days ago, she heard a fawn cry just outside. Thinking that the mom would be back, they waited overnight but mom and sibling didn't come back. That was when they decided to call Angela and Keith brought him in. Nature can be cruel sometimes. A mother might abandon her weaker baby if there is not enough food for everyone.

Keith and Angela now have 14 fawn to take care of! They are working around the clock and really appreciate the help that volunteers who have signed up are able to give them. Knowing that there will be someone else, allows them to take turns to get a break. Some of the "older" fawn are now spending time outdoors, weather permitting. This is step 1 in the process of being released later on in the year. Some of them are even eating foods, like grapes and cut up apple, in addition to their staple- goat's milk. 

When people hear about what Angela and Keith do, they are mostly amazed. And many offer their help. Jann Welch, who runs a charming B&B in nearby Bakersville, recently found out about the fawn rehabilitation that Angela and Keith do. She was so moved that she spoke to her guests at her B&B and actually raised about $900 to help the deer. Thank you for your kindness, Jann, and for the generosity of your guests!

And yet another fawn joins Angela's Deer Family! Roberta, aka Bobby, came from Candler after being picked up by a man who noticed the little one in distress. Bobby was at first very shy with the other deer, and hesitant to go up to them in the nursery. But the others welcomed the newcomer and made her feel "at home". This deer family is constantly evolving and its amazing to see how the "old" deer accept and bond with the newcomers. The older fawn groom and kiss the littler ones. Thus, a  "new family" is created. When released, these are the bonds that will keep them together as a herd and will strengthen their lineage- these deer are brought in from all over Western North Carolina.

A baby deer- fawn- is completely dependent on his/her mother for the first year of life. In the wild, baby stays close to mama until mama goes foraging for food, at which time, baby is told to stay put till mom gets back- sometimes after several hours, even all day. If something were to happen to mom, then the poor baby is helpless, without food, and vulnerable to attacks by predators. For this reason, mom leaves her baby scentless by licking or eating all bodily secretions (yes, including poo and pee!), so that baby is not easy to trace. When a fawn is found in the wild and is by itself, it does NOT necessarily mean that it is orphaned! There have been so many instances of well intentioned people who find a fawn alone and think it needs help. When Angela and Keith are called, the first thing they do is to check the story of how the fawn was found. Was it hurt, did anyone see the mom, was it crying? The survival rates for a baby without mommy are slim. And if the baby is hurt, even slimmer. So, when in doubt, wait and keep an  eye on the baby for at least 24 hours to determine if mom is truly not coming back. Of course, if the baby is hurt, call a professional for help! Here is a link to a website that has more detailed information on what to do when you come across a baby deer. This link also mentions the names of licensed deer rehabilitators, including Angela Weiss in Green Mountain. http://www.ncwildlife.org/injuredwildlife.aspx#5551119-is-the-animal-orphaned

We all know that babies are a lot of work but the rewards are plentiful. It's a similar story with baby deer! Angela has a baby deer nursery set up in one of the bedrooms in their cabin. This is the deer nursery. She even has baby gates so that the deer will stay safe. The gates form a natural enclosure and expand as the nursery expands. Baby deer drink a lot of milk, on average about every three hours, and just like human babies, have to have it warm. This means that Angela and Keith are on a three hour feeding schedule, including the nights! Angela says sometimes she forgets to brush her teeth and comb her hair! Does that sound familiar to new moms?! Not to mention the cost of goats' milk (about $300 per week) and the occasional medical costs that injured deer incur. See this link if you would like to help. http://www.greenmountaindeerrescue.org/how-you-can-help.html