A woman who tried to help an injured baby deer ended up flagging down Scioto County sheriff’s deputies at the First Stop in Franklin Furnace.
The woman told deputies she had a baby deer in her car that had been hit by a vehicle.
Deputies followed the woman back to the area where she found the deer so they could try to return it to the wild.
According to the report, the deer was released. It appeared to have an injured leg, but it was moving around.
The woman’s heart was clearly in the right place, but wildlife experts generally warn that taking a wild animal with you is not always the best move.
A frightened deer can injure itself further inside a vehicle. It can also kick, thrash, or hurt the person trying to help. Moving the animal may also make it harder for wildlife officers or rehabilitators to assess the situation.
With baby deer, there is another issue: people often assume a fawn has been abandoned when it has not. Mother deer commonly leave fawns hidden while they feed and return later.
In cases where an animal has been hit, injured, or is in the roadway, the safest move is usually to call law enforcement, animal control, or the Ohio Division of Wildlife and follow their instructions.
Do not try to feed or give water to an injured wild animal. That can make things worse.
Do not keep it overnight, take it home, or try to nurse it back to health yourself. Wild animals need trained, permitted care, and in some cases, keeping one can create legal trouble.
If it is safe, stay nearby, keep people and pets away, and give dispatchers a clear location. If the animal is in traffic and can be moved without putting yourself in danger, ask for guidance first.
Good intentions matter. But with wildlife, the best help is often getting the right help involved quickly.