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h Hi Jim and All Although my name isn't Bob, I should like to tell you of an experience I had many years ago. I was travelling through Newfoundland and stopped at Corner Brook for the night. The folks there told me of a moose calf orphaned in the same way as the fawn. So I went to DNR to see the animal. The calf wasn't too healthy and nobody knew what to do. I suggested they feed it like a dairy calf. They weren't experienced in that science. So we went to the store - got some milk - warmed it up and I taught it to drink as if it was a Holstein heifer calf. It caught on right away - as I was only passing through I showed someone what to do. It probably wasn't the best formula to use but any port in a storm. The calf grew into a mighty bull and was for years at a provincial park. Have a nice summer - teach a moose to drink! Paul --- Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> wrote: > This article reminded me of the last time Bob > Bancroft was on Maritime Noon. > He stated that during the rut in the Fall, > white-tailed deer go through > about three different periods of coming into heat, > and then the extended > birthing period the next Spring-Summer reflects that > -- i.e., the earliest > fawns are born in April, then many in May and June, > and this article makes > it clear that at least a few can be born very late. > > Maybe Bob can comment further on this? > > Cheers from Jim in Wolfville > ------------------- > Halifax Herald, Sat., Aug. 5, 2006 > > The poor little deer: Fawn born, orphaned same day > > By MONICA GRAHAM > DURHAM — A white-tailed fawn, both born and orphaned > during a car crash > earlier this week, can thank bystanders’ fast > reaction for her rescue. > > An off-duty paramedic and a dairy truck driver acted > as deer obstetricians > when the fawn’s mother and twin were killed in a > collision with a car Monday > morning in Pictou County. > > Paramedic Andrew Ashford didn’t expect to be called > into action as he headed > home to Durham, west of Pictou, after finishing his > shift early Monday > morning. > > But less than a kilometre from his house he came > across an accident. > > A pregnant doe had died after colliding with a car, > and her fawn > spontaneously aborted. > > Mr. Ashford and an unidentified Scotsburn Dairy > truck driver climbed over > the bank to examine the dead animal and discovered > there was a twin. > > "There wasn’t much to the delivery," he said Friday. > "It just happened on > its own. . . . It was awake and healthy right from > the beginning. > > "It all happened fast," he said, adding the truck > driver was working beside > him but he never discovered his name. > > The driver of the car that hit the deer was shaken > but unhurt, and his > vehicle was badly damaged, Mr. Ashford added. > > Mr. Ashford wrapped the newborn in a pair of > coveralls in his truck and > called ahead to his wife Sonja to phone someone to > treat the fawn. > > With the baby wrapped in blankets and a heating pad, > he called the > Shubenacadie Wildlife Park and the Natural Resources > Department for help. It > took an hour of calling around, but by 7 a.m. he was > in contact with the > Seaforth-based Hope for Wildlife Society. > > "Hope is a real hero," Mr. Ashford said, referring > to society director Hope > Swinemar. "She got the ball rolling immediately." > > He drove the fawn to Truro to meet a team of society > volunteers who relayed > the animal to the Dartmouth Veterinary Hospital, > where staff are accustomed > to treating wildlife. > > By 11 a.m., an umbilical-cord injury was discovered > and the fawn was put > under general anesthesia for a surgeon to repair the > damage, Ms. Swinemar > said. The animal also received a microchip and an > ear tag for identification > and tracking purposes, > > "It’s a girl, so we call her Sonja, after Andrew’s > wife," she said. "It was > going to be Andrew if it was a boy." > > Baby deer would normally be protected from disease > by the colostrum — a > substance containing antibodies — in their mother’s > milk, but Ms. Swinemar > and her volunteers fed Sonja goat colostrum > collected from the Annapolis > Valley. Sonja began feeding at 6 p.m. and had > devoured all the colostrum > within 36 hours. > > Now living at the society’s new deer enclosure in > Seaforth, Sonja feeds on a > special deer formula. > > Without the immunity from her mother’s colostrum, > she is kept in isolation > to protect her, Ms. Swinemar said. The society > normally releases its orphans > after hunting season, but Sonja was born late in the > season and likely won’t > be ready for the wild until next spring, she said. > > When Mr. Ashford delivered his first human baby two > years ago, he discovered > that his employer had discontinued an earlier > tradition of giving a stork > pin for the achievement. > > "Now, can I have one?" he joked. > > ( mgraham@herald.ca > <http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/"mailto:mgraham@herald.ca"> > ) > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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