Leave baby deer in the wild plea from SPCA

The Scottish SPCA is reminding locals in Monklands to be #Wildlifewise and leave baby deer in the wild.

The animal welfare charity has issued the plea after a number of fawns came into their care after being uplifted by well-meaning members of the public.

Of the four fawn admitted to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre from May 18-23, three were taken from their natural environment.

In many cases, people mistake the animals as abandoned by their parents when in fact they have been left while mum forages for food or is looking for a new nesting site.

Sadly, one of the fawns has already had to be put to sleep on medical grounds as the young deer was showing signs of severe stress, also known as capture myopathy.

Steve Gray from the wildlife centre told the Advertiser: “We know people have the best intentions, but removing wild animals from their natural habitat can do more harm than good.

“Deer suffer from such extreme stress levels, more so than many other wild animals, that in some cases it can be life-threatening.

“By removing a fawn when there is no need to, it can cause great distress to mother and baby.”

Now, the Scottish SPCA have launched a #Wildlifewise campaign.

This is to stop wild animals becoming orphans unnecessarily. The aim is to educate the public on when they should contact them about young wildlife.

The charity is asking people to be #Wildlifewise and stay a safe distance away from fawns and not to contact its helpline unless the young deer is showing signs of needing assistance.

A mother will return to the fawn, sometimes after several hours, and feed it so if someone does return later and the fawn does not show any signs of needing help then it should be left alone.

Steve added: “It’s not just fawns that suffer from being removed from the wild.

“A mother returning to find her young missing can suffer severe stress. Our dedicated teams work incredibly hard to rehabilitate these fawns and get them ready to be released back in to the wild.

“This usually involves regular bottle feeding all through the night. As incredible as our wildlife team is, there is no substitute for an animal staying with its family in the wild.

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

“Please make sure dogs are kept on a lead around any wild animals.”

To report an injured or distressed animal, contact the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999.