A fawn is recovering after its mother was hit and killed by a vehicle on M-50 in Monroe County on Tuesday.
Monroe County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Mercure saved the baby deer after its mother had been killed. The officer stayed with the fawn and kept it safe until wildlife officials arrived on the scene.
The mother deer was pregnant with three fawns, and delivered only one before dying, according to the wildlife rehab center.
The Out-Back Wildlife Rehab Center by Carducci posted on Facebook about the harrowing story to save the fawn after such a traumatic event.
The fawn was taken to the rehab center for treatment and reportedly had a chunk of its belly missing after being ripped from its mother's womb during the incident.
"I was checking her wounds and noticed her umbilical cord was still bleeding and a chunk of her belly was missing (from being ejected from mom with such force)," read one post on the Wildlife Rehab Center's Facebook page. "So we visited the Lambertville Vet Clinic and Dr Gabe looked her over! Everything looks good but she’s by NO means out of the woods yet."
The baby deer was given ointment for her eye and iodine for her belly, and antibiotics to offset any infection.
By Wednesday afternoon, the rehab center had posted that the fawn had made it through the night, and was "a little stiff and sore" but is otherwise "pretty perky."
