For this young girl, the experience of holding a newborn fawn will be one of the most treasured memories of her life.
Even nature may have a tender side. And, at other times, so cruel that it can break your heart. It’s rare to witness such a sweet and special synthesis of the two, so take advantage of this one while you can!
It appears that a deer gave birth in the area close to the Herring home while the Herring family was out on a canoe trip. It may seem cruel, but in the wild, mother deer will often abandon their young fawns so that they may find food and water on their own. Even when they have infants, the mothers avoid the area to prevent luring the dangerous animals near their defenseless offspring.
However, young deer aren’t yet wary of humans or animals, therefore they shouldn’t be approached with caution. As a result, the spotted baby deer approached the Herring family’s little daughter, Maya, after they had just arrived home and were in the process of unpacking their car.
Maya knelt down on the driveway, and the young fawn, despite the fact that it was still a little unsteady on its feet, strolled right up to her. The fawn didn’t appear to be afraid of anything and seemed to be looking for someone to play with.
When they are almost face to face with one another, they spend a moment together, and the fawn nuzzles Maya’s hand. The fawn then follows the little girl back into the woods after allowing the girl to pet it softly on the back before continuing on its way.
Maya’s dad, Brad Herring said:
Maya took it back to the forest because she understood it needed its mother, who we believe was off feeding and recovering from giving birth at the time.
Even though it’s such a sweet experience, people shouldn’t handle fawns because it could hurt them and very few of them are left behind by their mothers. The following is what the Wildlife Center of Virginia has to say:
Fawns of various species of deer are typically abandoned by their moms while the adults walk off to find food. This practice continues until the young deer are mature enough to follow their mothers. In order to protect their young from being attacked by predators, doe will keep her distance from her young. They do come back in the morning and the evening to either feed or shift their young. Fawns are often abandoned in a location that has long grass or bushes, but on occasion, they are abandoned in locations with more open space, such as backyards. Young deer that are a few months older are more likely to visit nearby areas.