White-Tailed Deer fawns not allowed to be rehabilitated in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency is dedicated to the preservation, conservation and protection of wildlife in the Volunteer State. If you find an injured or abandoned wild animal, the TWRA can even help you find a licensed rehabilitator.

However, that’s no longer the case for some deer in Tennessee.

Because of the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease, which has been found in 17 counties in Tennessee, wildlife rehabilitators are no longer allowed to accept white-tailed deer fawns .

Barry Cross, TWRA Communications and Marketing Manager for Region 2 explains:

“We don’t want to possibly spread disease across the state because that animal would have to be transported by someone to a location and that location would rehab it and transport it back, Cross said. So, that’s a lot of movement.”

People often think a tiny fawn has been abandoned by its mother when they see it alone. But that’s usually not the case.

“What happens is mom will leave the baby somewhere that she feels is safe,” Cross explained. “And she will go off and browse and feed. At dark usually, she will come back and take care of the baby. They don’t have babysitters out in the wild. And so, they have to do what they can to protect their young. The mother has a lot of scent. The baby does not. So, when she puts it in a place, it will lay there motionless for the day and you might think it’s been left alone, and you need to pick it up. That’s not what you need to do. You need to leave that baby there. You can watch from a distance. You’ll probably even get to see mom come back.”

The TWRA also says rehabilitated fawns show changes in behavior that make them more vulnerable to predators. They also can get too used to being around humans. Their greatest chance for survival is without human intervention.

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