BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A newborn fawn is recovering after quick work by a Brevard County Sheriff's deputy and rescue group.
- Brevard Sheriff's Sgt. Todd Beuer responded to gator report
- He stumbled upon fawn with umbilical cord still attached
- Fawn is recovering at Fort Pierce wildlife rescue with foster mom
Sgt. Todd Beuer was responding to a report of an alligator on a roadway in a new Suntree subdivision last week.
He removed the gator — but then spotted a small fawn in the grass nearby.
"I met up with them and could see it was bleeding," says Heather Pepe of Palm Bay's Wild Florida Rescue.
The animal was weak and undernourished, and after Beuer and other deputies couldn't find the mother contacted the rescue.
The fawn was just hours old, with its umbilical cord still attached.
"I've never seen one with fresh blood on it. It was slimy, so that was amazing," Pepe said.
It was another busy moment for Pepe, who recently went on 57 animal rescue calls in just one day. But this one was special, being able to help an animal right out of the womb.
"It's like going into this with a big group, and then there goes this life back into the wild," she said.
The fawn is now at a Fort Pierce facility, where it's being watched by a foster mom. After it is strong enough, the fawn and new mom will be released together.
If you live in Brevard County and see an animal needing help, email Wild Florida Rescue at info@wildfloridarescue.org or call their information hotline at 321-821-7881.