LEWISTOWN - Early one morning, Stacy Torok and her pets discovered an unexpected visitor in their yard - a tiny fawn.
Although the animal had wounds, the Lewistown woman said she hoped its mother would find and care for it. Leaving the fawn in her yard, Torok said she continued throughout her daily routines.
In the evening after work, Torok said she checked the yard for the fawn and did not see it. Walking to her porch, she discovered the animal curled up on the ground with flies buzzing around it. Wanting to help, she said she "called around" to find out where she could take the fawn.
"No one here (in Mifflin County) takes wild animals," she said.
Then a friend suggested Centre Wildlife Care in Lemont, a licensed rehabilitation center that cares for wild animals who have been hurt and brought in by the public, she said.
For many who live in a rural area, Torok's situation begs the question: What should I do if an injured wild animal shows up on my door step?
Though unaware of Torok's situation, local Wildlife Conservation Officer Jeff Mock said she did the right thing, based on The Sentinel's description of the situation.
But in most cases, the Pennsylvania Game Commission cautions people from dealing with wild animals, Mock said.
First, a decision to find care for an injured wild animal depends on the animal, Mock said. He warned people not to approach small mammals like foxes, raccoons and skunks, especially when they are out in the daylight. Pets should be kept away, too, because wild animals sometimes carry diseases like rabies, he said.
To report a strangely behaving or sick animal, people should call the local game commission at (814) 643-1831.
"In the case of a mammal like a fawn, we need to determine as quickly as possible where that animal came from," which gives the game officers a better chance to reunite the animal with its biological parents, he said.
"If an animal shows up in your yard, leave it alone," Mock said. "Within 12 hours, 90 percent of the time it will go back to its mom. Fawns are kids, just like we have kids. Sometimes they wander away. It's important not to pick them up. Once they are handled, they imprint on people easily."
If, like Torok, the animal remains in the yard for a long period of time, Mock said licensed rehabilitation facilities are available. Currently, there are no facilities in Mifflin or Juniata counties, Mock said. Two centers, Centre Wildlife Care and Nittany Wildlife Refuge, operate in Centre County, Mock said.
Licensed rehabilitators have training and education for specific species of animals, Mock said.
Several local animal hospitals also assist the Lemont center with animals, according to Centre Wildlife Care's Web site, www.wildaboutanimals.net.
If a facility is necessary, Mock encouraged residents to transport the animals themselves, but the game commission will help if the person is not able.
Centre Wildlife Care also asks that people transport the animals themselves, if able. The center is a non-profit organization that relies on donations and volunteers, according to its Web site.
"The goal is to get the fawn back to the doe," Mock said. "People don't like to hear this or read it, but I prefer to take the chance of the fawn not living. I'd rather it have the chance in the wild than live behind a fence or a cage its whole life."
For Torok's fawn, which she named "Hotrod," the woods will be its future, the Lewistown woman said.
Centre Wildlife moved Hotrod to another facility where it will heal and grow with another fawn the same age, Torok said. When the fawns are ready, the pair will be released back into the wild again, she said.
The facility provides professional care to more than 700 orphaned and injured animals every year, according to the site.
"These animals are given a second chance" by being returned back into the wild, according to the site. "Many animals that are brought to CWC are compromised as a direct result of human interference such as cars, poisoning or trees being cut down."
A call to Centre Wildlife Care was not immediately returned Wednesday.
For more information about dealing with wildlife, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us. To learn more about the rehabilitation facility, visit www.wildaboutanimals.net or call (814) 692-0004.
