Injured Wildlife  >  Contact a Fawn Rehabilitator

It is common to find fawns left alone for long periods of time by the doe (the female parent). The doe knows when to return and will not do so if humans are around. The best thing you can do if you find a fawn is leave it alone for 24 hours or put it back where it was found, unless it is truly injured or orphaned. Even if it is injured or orphaned, it is okay to put it back or leave it alone.

If you are truly concerned that the fawn is injured or orphaned, but not sure, read the following:

Is it injured?

  1. If the fawn is able to move on its own then it’s likely not injured. Best thing to do is just leave it alone.
  2. If the fawn is not moving, but still very young, then it’s likely not injured. Very young fawns (for the first 2 to 3 weeks of age) by instinct do not move. They may lie perfectly still even if they are out in the middle of an open area. This is an instinct to protect them from predators. The mother licks the fawn to reduce any scent that could attract a predator. Best thing to do is just leave it alone.
  3. If the fawn is unable to move from the site where found then go to the bottom of this section to find a Fawn Rehabilitator near you.


Is the animal orphaned?

  1. Just because the fawn is alone and the parent cannot be seen, doesn’t mean the fawn is orphaned. As stated before, fawns are left alone by the doe for long periods of times. A good rule of thumb is to leave the fawn completely alone for 24 hours to determine if the parent is not returning.
  2. After leaving it completely alone for 24 hours, and the fawn is in the same location, clearly distressed and bleating (crying) loudly, then go to the bottom of this section to find a Fawn Rehabilitator near you.
  3. If the dead parent is found close by the baby, then go to the bottom of this section to find a Fawn Rehabilitator near you.