Amanda Bashford's walk to her town's Community Gardens plot turned into a rescue mission after she heard crying in the woods and followed it to an orphaned fawn, reuniting the newborn with two siblings that had already been taken into care after their mother was fatally struck by a vehicle.
Here's what to know
The discovery came after a deadly deer crash on Graniteville Road in Westford, Massachusetts. Officers found two newborn fawns near the road and, according to The Westford Villager, brought them to a state-permitted wildlife rehabilitator. After Bashford found another newborn hidden in the brush, the three siblings were reunited.
Westford Animal Control Officer Kirsten Hirschler said Westford regularly gets reports of deer being hit by vehicles. "There was a call for a deer hit by a car, which, of course, is not too uncommon, unfortunately, in Westford," Hirschler said.
Although they were only about a day old, the first two fawns appeared to be in good shape. "They still had their umbilical cords attached," Hirschler said. "They were very new."
State rules strictly control deer rehabilitation in Massachusetts, Hirschler said. State permission allowed the fawns to be sent to a wildlife rehabilitator for care, and wildlife officials must sign off before such placements happen.
More background
After reading social media posts about the collision, Bashford headed to the Community Gardens. "It really weighed on me," she said. "I love animals. I love this town."
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She did not immediately assume the crying was tied to the crash. But once she understood the collision had happened near the gardens, she began to suspect another fawn might still be close by.
About an hour into the search, Bashford paused to listen and heard another cry, which she followed through the brush until she reached the missing fawn. "It was just lying in the brush," Bashford said. "It was literally the sweetest thing ever. I was so emotional."
What's being done?
A licensed rehabilitator authorized to care for white-tailed deer received the first two fawns after Westford Animal Control recovered them.
Once Bashford found the third fawn, she called Animal Control and remained nearby until officers arrived. That gave responders a chance to recover the animal without unnecessary handling or added stress.
Hirschler said Bashford's restraint was as important as her persistence. "She did everything right," Hirschler said. "She didn't pick up the baby, she didn't touch it, she left it where it was."
By contacting authorities and leaving the animal in place for trained professionals to retrieve, Bashford helped make the siblings' reunion possible. "I wasn't leaving until I found it," she said. "It would've haunted me if I didn't."
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at other moments when wildlife landed in danger and people stepped in to help. They follow deer saved from danger, volunteers protecting other vulnerable animals, and people weighing how best to care for wildlife.
• Locals celebrated after a baby deer was rescued from a storm drain.
• In Georgia, wildlife officers answered an emergency call when a deer became trapped in plastic tubing.
• In Vancouver, Canada, residents pushed back after a public wildlife feeding practice raised health concerns.
• In England, volunteers moved quickly after an oil spill threatened ducks at a business park.
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