Hope for Wildlife sees large influx in injured fawns

Hope for Wildlife is a charitable wildlife rehabilitation and education organization. Last year, they treated eight fawns.  Today volunteers are providing around-the-clock care for 20.

“This year we’re seeing a lot of injured fawns,” said Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope for Wildlife.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This year we're seeing a lot of injured fawns," said Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope for Wildlife.

“We’ve got one that was caught in a fence and injured his hind leg. We’ve got three or four that were hit by cars and have quite serious injuries, one with a broken jaw, several with broken legs.  Others just couldn’t stand, so we’re working through those medical cases.

WATCH: Springtime is one of the busiest times of the year for Nova Scotia’s Hope for Wildlife, and this year an influx of animals have come through their doors.

1:07 Hope for Wildlife sees influx of orphaned animals

“Usually this time of year we’re getting the fawns in because the mother has been hit by a car and killed and the fawn is left behind,” continued Swinimer.

“This year, we’re seeing a lot more of the actual fawns that have been hit.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Usually this time of year we're getting the fawns in because the mother has been hit by a car and killed and the fawn is left behind," continued Swinimer.</p><p>"This year, we're seeing a lot more of the actual fawns that have been hit."

READ: Mounties help deliver baby fawn after striking deer in Nova Scotia

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On Thursday night, an injured fawn was brought into the rehab by a police officer after it was hit by a car.

“Always be careful, especially around dawn and dusk when you’re driving,” said Swinimer.

“If you see an adult deer go across in front of you, stop and wait a while because that fawn may be right down in the ditch and they’re really hard to see. They’re a lot smaller than people think so it’s really good to keep a watchful eye.”

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Although they haven’t come across it this year, Hope for Wildlife is also reminding people about “fawn-napping” or removing healthy fawns because of the mistaken belief that it has been abandoned by its mother.

Swinimer says they get calls daily from concerned citizens who are wondering what normal behaviour for a fawn is.

“A fawn sitting by itself without the mom is perfectly normal,” she told Global News.

“What I tell people to look for is, is the fawn sitting quietly. A full fawn is a content fawn so you know he’s got a full belly, you know there’s a momma out there looking after him. Mom usually only comes in to feed at dawn and dusk and she does this for a reason. She doesn’t want predators to come to her fawn.”

2:21 Hope for Wildlife open house draws thousands from across North America

• Hope for Wildlife open house draws thousands from across North America
• Wildlife experts warn against ‘fawn-napping’

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If a fawn is acting abnormal, like crying, you call Hope for Wildlife.