A Deer Momma and her Children

 

Hubby and I watched a momma deer and her newborn twins yesterday. Momma ambled on our side of the fence, and her children wandered on the other side. Momma Deer traipsed back and forth from our yard to the neighbor’s yard. Her twins stayed trapped in another yard. They followed her as she looked for ways to rescue them.

How did the twins get through the enclosure and away from momma? Hubby and I couldn’t guess. They touched their mom’s nose through the fence, but their size prevented them from going through the bars.

In my mind, I heard the mom say, “What are you doing over there? I told you to stay close to me. Now, how am I going to get you back over here? I’ll find a way, and when I do, you’re in trouble.”

Both mom and babies walked along the neighbor’s barrier for hours. With no gate at the back, we had no way to open the railing. The opening exists at the front of the neighbor’s house near the garage.

If we had ventured outside, we would scare the momma, and she’d dart away, but the twins couldn’t go with her. On the other hand, deer can be dangerous. A man, along with his dog, took corn outside to feed the deer. The animal kicked the dog and injured it.

Who or what agency do people call when animals have an emergency?

We continued to stay on guard to help if we could.

Children and momma remained safe, and I wondered how the twins would find momma once they discovered a route out of their confinement.

Meanwhile, the mom lay down. She looked exhausted from worry, but she kept an eye on the stranded children. At times, she glanced toward our house as if to say, “Can you help me?”

I am guessing she knew she could jump the fence, but then she’d be trapped, too. This deer family remained split apart for hours. I know the mom worried, and the children? Well, they wanted to be with momma.

One of the neighbors must have seen Momma Deer’s plight and called for help. I saw a truck arrive, but I didn’t see how someone rescued the deer family.

Once freed, the trio returned to our residence. The twins ate, but they seemed more interested in new things.

The mom ate grass from our yard, nibbled our trees, and bushes. The poor thing hadn’t eaten all day. Apprehension can do that to you. Her anxiety kept her appetite at bay, but once the kids became safe, she could eat.

The twins didn’t learn a lesson. They wandered from mom’s side, but mom kept an eye on them while she dined. The newborns wanted to explore their world, but like human children, they don’t know how to reason and stay away from trouble. Moms teach those lessons.

With an awkward, bounding gate, the twins suddenly ran away from her and out of sight, but she seemed to know they were okay and in no danger. I don’t know how deer communicate, but Momma Deer’s ears tweaked back and forth, and she’d gaze in a certain direction.

When the fawns experienced trouble, they wanted their mom. Once free from fear, they returned to their normal, rebellious behavior.

Mothers and babies show similar traits in every species.

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