Fawn-tastic!

She should be romping on our lawn, with her mom.

But she isn't.

This is the tiny fawn that we rescued about two weeks ago, on the advice from the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

Normally you don't want to touch a fawn that is hiding in the grass. It is how they survive, and it is common for the doe to leave the fawn for several hours. Eleven, or even twelve hours , is not that unusual. Every year people find a fawn they think has been abandoned, and pick it up. It wasn't abandoned. It is so extremely rare that a doe will 'abandon' her baby, and they know far better than we do how to best care for them.

This little one, however, had been hiding under the same stem of bracken for over 24 hours. That's too long. Especially in the rain. Add to that the finding of a dead doe within 2000 yards of the hidden babe, and it adds up to trouble. Wildlife had been feasting on the dead deer, as they do, so the cause of death was indeterminate, but given the location it would appear most likely that she was struck by a car and suffered a broken pelvis, made it off the road a short distance, collapsed and died.

We called the experts at the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and followed their instructions, and little Fawn Bondi is now resident at their facility. The good news is that while we're sure she still wonders where her Mom is, is that she has two other fawns in her pen, and they are good friends and company for each other. Jan kindly went in to get some update photos for me -- as soon as she enters the pen, the babies come up to her wondering if its dinner time.

There are currently NINE fawns at the Sanctuary. And THREE tiny baby beavers. None of them are related. All of them demand time and money for their care. We have been trying to help out with some fundraising. Napster, our feline artist, has dedicated this month's proceeds to the Fawn. So far, he has raised $300 for the cause. Visit his Blog at www.napsterart.blogspot.com to see his artwork, and hopefully make an order. His cards, prints and bracelets are all available here at Bondi, as well as at the Dwight Library, and anything can be ordered through email to us as well.

If Feline art is not your thing, you can make a Pay Pal donation directly to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

It was most likely through human intervention that Fawn Bondi lost her mother. We're hoping that through a more beneficient intervention, she will one day be able to be released back into the wild where she belongs, strong and healthy. We're very grateful that there are wildlife sanctuaries here in Muskoka. Bear With Us works hard to rescue baby bears. A Wing and a Prayer is busting at the seams with injured birds and has gained international recognition for the work they have done with loons. Aspen Valley is home to a host of tiny creatures and a permanent home to many more that can never be released for various reasons, and Muskoka Wildlife Centre provides forever homes for many species, some being rehabilitated, some who cannot go back to the wild, becoming ambassadors through the many educational programs the Centre runs.

Three cheers for all of these wonderful volunteers and Centres. Let's see if we can, at the very least, help them pay for some of the necessary food items, and perhaps even build new safe habitats to help the babies learn about their natural world.