When Bambi learns his mom is never returning to him, his heart breaks. The sadness that envelopes us as we watch this helpless little buck lose his momma is surprising considering it’s a Disney movie, but this happens more than you’d think in real life.
Brand new fawns are left alone, hidden in tall brush from predators, while their moms wander off to feed. They return when full.
But sometimes, they don’t.
When a group of people were hiking in a dense forest, they heard a desperate bleating sound. They glance around and see the tiniest deer with stick-like legs stuck in a debris-riddled body of water, crying out for help.
They wander into the water a tiny bit, calling out to her to encourage her to fight her way toward them so they could save her.
“Come this way buddy!”
She continues to waller as she sloshes and strains toward them. One person knew that if momma really was nearby, they could be in trouble.
“Can you just make sure the mother doesn’t kill me?”
One person swoops down and snatches her up, holding her close to warm her with her own body heat. She is soaking wet and shivering, poor thing!
The rescuers contact the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario for help. Founder and director Monika Melichar instructs them to place the fawn in a quiet area not far from where she was found and leave her there to see if her momma returns.
Sadly, she did not.
“A few hours later they could hear it bawling again and staggering around. This time it walked to the cottages where there were other people. She knew that they saved her before and she was looking for them.”
It’s unbelievable that this tiny creature was able to hunt down the people who rescued her the first time. She instinctively knew that she needed help and is desperate to find it.
“Where’s your mommy? You’re supposed to be going to your mother.”
The deer staggers up on its spindly little legs, unsteady on her feet, and approaches one person and then another, sniffing the man’s legs. They securely pick her up and transport her to the sanctuary where experts could save her life.
Without proper care, she wouldn’t make it.
Volunteers at the nonprofit rescue made sure she is well hydrated then slowly introduce formula to her through a bottle.
“She was ravenous.”
The baby they name Ivy voraciously latches on to her bottle. She even licks people to show her appreciation.
“Ivy was just ecstatic to be rescued.”
To help Ivy adjust and feel a bit more secure, they place her in a pet carrier with a stuffed giraffe.
“It was like a security blanket for her, something she could identify with. She was lonely though and we were anxious to receive another orphaned fawn.”
It doesn’t take long before Ivy is presented with a friend. A baby buck in poor shape arrives, bleating out of fear.
He nestles in with Ivy and settles down.
“They were so happy to have a friend during their time of need.”
The pair sleep near each other in tall weeds and spend numerous weeks together before four more fawns arrive. They all nurse as a group off bottles at a feeding station and form a deer herd.
Finally, the time is right for Ivy and her pals to be returned to the wild. Would they make it?
“When we know they’re healthy and ready and eager to get on with their lives, we open up the gate and they slowly come on through. It’s so exciting to see that wide-eyed look, going ‘Wow we’re on the other side of the fence now.’ There are little butterflies in my stomach thinking is she going to be okay, but then you see her a few days later bouncing around with the other ones and you know you’ve done a good thing.”
Once set free, they wander about sniffing the air and can’t believe what’s happening. They frolic a bit and eventually take off, realizing there is a whole new world waiting for them.
Thank goodness the perceptive people realized Ivy needed their help and rescued her, taking her to the sanctuary. This little fighter pulled through and has quite the story to tell!
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