Deer Are Not Pets: Colorado Springs Resident Cited For Keeping Fawn Indoors
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Wildlife officials cited a person in the Colorado Springs area for keeping a fawn as a pet. Colorado Parks and Wildlife tweeted a video of the fawn on Friday after rescuing it from the home.
It is illegal in Colorado to feed and keep deer inside as a pet. CPW says the fawn should be in the wild with its doe, but instead it is now an orphan.
"What humans might misinterpret as 'abandonment' is actually wild animals living a healthy, wild life," said CPW District Wildlife Manager Katie Doyle. "Young wildlife are frequently left alone in a safe location while adult animals search for food. It's also common for baby birds to sit outside of their nest as they grow bigger and learn to fly. Humans should not approach baby wild animals, because the mother is probably nearby and might attack if she thinks her young are in danger."
Wildlife experts say a doe can leave its fawn for hours or even days while it searches for food. The fawn will often curl up in the grass, hiding in plain sight from predators.
People who bring animals to CPW often force the agency to send the animals to rehabilitation specialists. Sometimes, wildlife officials have to put the animals down if no rehabbers are available.
If you see a fawn and believe it might be orphaned, call your local CPW office. Wildlife experts can assess the situation and decide whether or not to intervene.
The fawn rescued from the home in Colorado Springs was sent to rehab. For more information about living with young wildlife, click here.
