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:
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