Spring, time of births

During this birthing season, we should all be very vigilant in nature. For some species such as roe deer or deer, the fawns are voluntarily left alone, at the foot of trees or in high grass meadows. The mother leave her fawn to protect it, by not attracting the attention of predators. Fawns have no scent at birth and during the first weeks of life, so predators can't smell them. Of course, this protection only works if the fawns remain motionless as they pass... If you see a fawn alone, this is 100% normal and please never touch or move them, in anyway ! By putting your scent on the fawn (with your hand/fingers), you sentence him to death since its mother will then abandon him. Please leave the fawn where he is and go on walking without talking to him nor disturbing him. If you're a farmer, there are organizations that can scout your fields with drones before your machines pass by, to avoid an agonizing death to roe deer fawns. It's called "SOS SAUVONS LES FAONS".

If you find other lonely or wounded animals, you should contact a wildlife warden (ranger) or wildlife associations such as ERMINEA or NOUVEL ENVOL 

for the birds. We recommend never handling wild animals without knowledge of the species and the proper handling procedures. The slightest mistake can lead to the death of the animal. 

For hikers with dogs, it's strongly advised, even mandatory in some regions or at certain times of the year, to tie your dog up with a leash. Dogs are predators and they have kept, in their instincts, the  "predation" motor pattern (1). It's activated as soon as an animal starts moving, running or fleeing. On the other hand, regarding the dog, certain other motor patterns (1) have been hyperthrophied as a result of numerous crosses and genetic manipulations, unfortunately. This is the case, in particular, of the killing pattern, through bites in deadly locations, such as the neck or the throat. When the dog attacks a wild animal, he'll often inflict multiple bitesi on many parts of the body but not on potentially lethal places. The animal will then suffer serious injuries and a possible long and painful agony. In Switzerland, every year, several hundred wild animals of all sizes are killed by dogs and many more are injured.

The birthing period is magical but baby animals are fragile and require us to be careful, respectful and to have the right reflexes.
 

Dictionary

(1) Motor pattern : innate sequence of genetically programmed behaviors (predation, approach, attack, killing, consumption etc.)

Photos : Mission Loup