Pecatonica,IL Is In a Fawn Frenzy Over a Baby Being Separated From Its Mom

A female deer in Pecatonica, Illinois who often interacts with neighbors, children, and dogs recently had a baby which she has been separated from, and many community members are NOT happy about it.

Pecatonica's 'Pet' Deer

Living in Pecatonica, I have fallen in love with one female deer many of my neighbors call 'Clarice'. She primarily stays near the neighborhood I live in, and I see her nearly every single day.

Here is a picture of Clarice and one of our neighborhood dogs from earlier this year...

Clarice was obviously cared for by humans when she was young because she shows no fear of people, in fact, she seems to love them. She is friendly, playful, and beloved by many of the people who live here.

Earlier this week Clarice's fan club was delighted to see she had become a mama, and Pec's Facebook groups were flooded with pics of the new adorable pair...

Just when Pecatonica's Clarice lovers got excited about having a new village deer to love, the fawn was separated from its mom, and Clarice isn't the only one who is broken hearted over it.

What Happened to Clarice's Baby?

On Wednesday morning I noticed several Pecatonica residents raising concern on social media about Clarice's baby being taken from her and the stories of why this happened have varied greatly.

Some people say someone saw the baby laying unresponsive by the side of the road, with Clarice, and called Winnebago County Animal Services who came and took her.

Other people say the fawn was fine and laying still because her mom wasn't around, and that police called animal services who took her anyway.

The only thing I know for sure is;

The fawn is currently in the care of Hoo Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Durand...

Since many of Clarice's fans believe the fawn was is no trouble and separated from her mother needlessly, tensions are high, and people are demanding that the fawn be returned to its mom.  Here's my attempt to set the record straight.

I reached out to Hoo Haven about the fawn and future plans for her, and this is what they said;

The Pec police department watched the fawn for a hour, after seeing she was not super responsive they called animal control. Together animal control and the police officer made the choice to bring the fawn in. IDNR , animal control , PD and Hoo Haven all agree it’s in the right place. We will care for her , raise her and release her. In the state of Illinois no deer from the wild can be kept in captivity. So she will for sure be released.

 

Personally, I feel much better knowing that Clarice's baby is safe and being cared for by people who know what she needs, but my heart breaks for Clarice who is quite upset tht she is missing.

While I am thankful Clarice has chosen to share her life with the residents of Pecatonica and that my children have the chance to see such a beautiful and gentle side of nature, we must remember that she is still a wild animal that deserves to be treated with respect and caution.

I would hate to see Clarice go, especially if it's not by her choice, and I truly hope people will just leave her be to live her best deer life.