Young Hungry Deer

Young Hungry Deer

We live on a fairly ordinary street, nature-wise. The animals we mostly see in our backyard are squirrels, chipmunks, a groundhog here and there or an unexpected skunk. The birds are more varied with a variety of finches, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, a woodpecker every now and then. The usual suburban mixture though sometimes we get a surprise.

Earlier this year we saw some adult deer making their way in back of our houses on their way to, well, who knows where. They were in a group of five and looked healthy. This morning we had a deer walk into our yard and slowly make its way into the garden behind our dining room.  

Most of the time when I see a deer, I am charmed by its understated beauty but this time I gaped at it for another reason; it was young, a fawn on its own, and it seemed malnourished. Its bones were visible along its hide. The mother in me wanted to whip up a nourishing breakfast but I know that feeding a fawn is not the good for the animal. It was moot anyway, as our visitor inspected the hydrangea bush just beyond the window, moved along the back of the house, and was gone.

So much of our natural habitat is being shifted into living quarters for humans. There are deer crossing signs on many roads now, with occasional duck or turtle crossing warnings.

It would be great if animals and people could live side-by-side peacefully. It would be terrific if we humans could do that too, letting each other live and thrive and express ourselves with respect and tolerance. May none of us be hungry for the basics of a good life.

Facts about whitetail deer:

https://americanexpedition.us/learn-about-wildlife/whitetail-deer-facts-information-and-photos/