Charity warns people not to lift baby deer

THE Scottish SPCA is asking residents not to disturb baby deer after a number were taken into the charity’s care having been lifted by passers-by.

Of the nine fawns that have been brought into the Scottish SPCA, seven were taken from their natural environment by people who mistakenly thought they had been abandoned.

This comes after a number of deer were spotted in residential areas across Tayside during the coronavirus lockdown, including in Fintry, Monifieth and Perth.

Female deer often leave their young from an early age while they forage for food, often in long grass or under bushes and will return later to feed the fawn.

Mike Flynn, the Scottish SPCA’s chief superintendent, said: “Deer can find situations very stressful and by removing a fawn when there is no need to, it can cause great distress to mother and baby.

“We’ve had instances where people have phoned our animal helpline about a fawn and have chosen to ignore our advice and uplifted the animal anyway.

“One fawn was less than a day old and died shortly after arriving.

“Some people have taken the fawns into their homes which is incredibly stressful on the animal.

“These are not domestic pets used to human interaction, t hese are wild animals and being petted and taken into a home is not natural to them and they will be terrified.

“Sadly, this can cause so much stress that the animal can pass away.

“Our concern is also with the doe that finds her fawn missing.

“Unfortunately, this can result in the deer passing away due to the extreme stress caused.

“If you come across a fawn, please stay well back and do not alert it to your presence.

“People should only intervene if the fawn i s injured or the mother is deceased nearby.”

Injured and distressed animals can be reported to the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999.