The misguided attempt to help the creature has been highlighted by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) as it warned the public.
It said there had been recent incidents involving wildlife and in some cases, members of the public had been reluctant to hand over their newly-adopted ‘pets.’
Animal welfare experts from the charity explained fawns can erroneously be feared to be sick or abandoned whilst their mothers are foraging for food.
Their natural instincts are to remain rooted to the spot or to hide which could be interpreted as the creatures being lost.
April Dodds, assistant manager of the SSPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre said: “We are still seeing a number of fawns which have arrived at the centre where they have been removed from the wild for no reason.”
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She described fawns as “possibly the most complex and challenging animal we deal with” at the centre. She said removing them from the wild is “effectively a death sentence”, in many cases.
Ms Dodds explained that: “Just this week, a member of the public picked up a healthy fawn and took them home.
“When we asked them to reveal their location they refused and claimed that, as they had read advice online, they knew how to look after the animal’.
The caller had a dog in their garden near the fawn which would have been “distressing” for the fawn as it is a predator.
And in another case, a fawn died from aspiration pneumonia after being fed the wrong milk, which ended up in its lungs.
Anyone who sees deer removed from the wild is urged to contact the Scottish SCPA on 03000 999 999.
The centre is also appealing for donations on its Amazon wishlist.
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