"Deer Get Rough Start on Life"


 Randy and Karen Inman of St. Johns Wildlife Care Inc. were already on
the road making other animal pickups when they got the call all rehabbers
dread. The report was of a deer with a broken leg.

 The deer was supposed to be on Old Kings Road, south of Princess Place.
After looking for over an hour, they were about ready to give up the
search, when Randy noticed skid marks in the road. There in the ditch was a
doe, not only with severe injuries, but in labor as well.

 Not many veterinarians answer the call on Sunday evening, but Dr.
Robert Tate of Flagler Animal Hospital didn't hesitate. He met the Inmans at
the animal hospital and quickly set to work performing an emergency
Caesarean. He delivered two beautiful boys into the waiting arms of Karen
Inman and fellow volunteer Lora Smith. The first fawn responded immediately
to stimulation, but it took half an hour for Karen, with Dr. Tate's
instructions, to stabilize the second fawn. In the meantime Dr. Tate worked
on the doe, but her injuries were too severe to save her.

 After spending the night at Lora's house, the fawns were transported to
Ron & Carol Hardee of Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida in
Christmas. The Hardees report that the twins are quite rare, and the fact
that the boys are doing so well is a miracle.

Wildlife rehabbing can be time consuming and exhausting and rehabbers
rarely make special plans, they say, but once in a while you're part of a
miracle and it makes it all worthwhile.

The entire surgery to save these two fawns Tag and Pinky is shown here.