R. O. C. K.
REHABBERS OFFER CARE AND KINDNESS
A Project of Wildlife Watch
It’s important to see the many perils facing individual wild animals in their daily existence. Some can be avoided by personal steps that we can take - others need to be dealt with through education or lobbying efforts.
Your additional contributions to R.O.C.K. will be shared between the wildlife rehabilitators, rehabilitation facilities, and Wildlife Watch. Your support for this project allows Wildlife Watch to continue to produce and mail our publication. Your funding will aid those who work tirelessly at their own expense to provide medical and hospice care to wild animals.
Wildlife rehabilitators are licensed by state game agencies, yet they are given no other support, and they are not allowed to charge for their “services.” Sadly, animals often come to the attention of rehabbers when they are found by people who either don’t want them near the house or don’t know how to help them. When the DECs, DNRs or police are called, they normally recommend killing, and most veterinarians cannot take time from their busy schedules.
The Wildlife Watch R.O.C.K. Project will help to fund the treatment, rehabilitation, or hospice care of wild animals. If you know of a wildlife rehabilitation facility in your area that might benefit from participating in our project, please let us know. wildwatch@verizon.net or P.O. Box 562, New Paltz, NY 12561.
YOU CAN HELP US TO NATIONALIZE R.O.C.K:
If your Yellow Pages does not have a wildlife help number, please let us know. We will arrange for a "wildlife hotline" in your area and will be happy to carry the advertising if there are at least two rehabilitators in your area who are willing and able to handle the calls that will come their way.
Wildlife Watch is activating our National Hotline number 877-WILD-HELP. This line is not yet active.
We will need your help to activate it. Gratefully, for the wildlife, WILDLIFE WATCH
FEATURED WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR
CAROLYN MOORE ENGLE, NEW PALTZ, NY
Carolyn’s Center, Mid-Hudson Wildlife Rescue, took care of two semi-tame pigeons who were disturbing an eatery in New Paltz. Wildlife Watch managed to capture one, and Carolyn was able to get the other blocks away both were united. They are now free to come and go from Carolyn’s center. To contact Carolyn Moore Engle, call Mid-Hudson Wildlife Rescue at 845-384-6847.
Chloe, a white tail fawn, arrived at my center at the age of one month. She had been abducted a few days after birth to become a pet for three children. She was taken to live at grandpa’s farm so the kids would have something to play with on their monthly visits.
Did the family not realize that deer milk is in no way like cow’s milk, and that giving a fawn cow’s milk would kill her from diarrhea?
Did they stop to think how the mother doe would feel upon losing her baby?
And did they not realize how fragile fawns are in captivity? When I heard about Chloe, she had been injured for three weeks with a broken leg and nothing had been done to help her. Along with that she was terribly sick from diarrhea. Well, grandpa never let a vet set foot on his farm in 80 years and he wasn’t about to now. It’s only a fawn for God’s sake and there are plenty of those around here.
After two days of haggling over the phone I managed to convince them that Chloe needed help now or she would die. Grandpa wanted the kids to make the decision but my insistence won out.
So Chloe came to live here and underwent surgery to have a pin inserted in the broken bone. Dr. Ruth Gillis at Compassion Veterinary Hospital performed the surgery. And with a lot of medication and good diet we cured the diarrhea.
But, Chloe had an even more disturbing problem than her infirmities! She was imprinted. Fawns imprint in 5-6 days. I knew this would be a problem but I let my heart rule out and hoped that during her 8 week recovery I could wild her up to be releasable. I tried to minimize contact with her. She grew healthy and strong; the pin was removed but she stayed too friendly. I decided to keep her in her secluded pen until after hunting season then try letting her go here at my farm. I built a higher fencing, but tons of forage for her daily, and kept away from her. One day she jumped out of her enclosure and was gone. She came home a few times but here was no pint in trying to keep her enclosed anymore. Then she didn’t come home again.
I knew better than to take in an imprinted fawn. A friendly animal is a dead animal. Now I live with the heartbreak of not knowing what ever happened to Chloe. Could she have suddenly turned wild? Not likely.
So my beloved Chloe, I’m so sorry that weren’t left with your mother. I sorry for the selfishness of people who want fawns and other wild animals as pets!
What You Can Do:
Unless you actually see a dead doe, leave the fawn alone. Fawns are rarely orphaned
Deer can and do cope with winter. They seek sheltered areas called "yards" where they concentrate and pack down snow making travel easier. The food they eat in the fall is converted into fat deposits and they grow highly insulated fur coats.
They restrict their activities including time spent feeding. Food intake drops to half that eaten in the fall and energy needs are reduced.
Healthy deer are well suited for winter, so adequate winter cover is essential for their survival. Protecting wintering areas extremely important.