Wildlife spotting while at The Parklands often happens when you least expect it. Our most frequent visitors are usually the people who catch a glimpse of the Sandhill cranes flying overhead in the winter and the elusive bald eagles that soar over our meadows and creek looking for a bite to eat.

One of our most commonly spotted residents is the white-tail deer. Once a rare sight in the Commonwealth, (more on that here) these skittish creatures can often be seen snacking in meadows and fields along the Louisville Loop. Come June, you might also be lucky enough to see a fawn.

Newborn fawns, like the one above, are often nested away from their mother. This helps prevent the mother from leading preadators to her baby. Photo by Greg Harpool

Falling seven months after deer mating season, most deer are born in June, which means you are likely to spot some spots among the herd this summer. You could also come across a lone fawn who is waiting for mom to return from getting food. Please do not approach deer—large or small, alone or in a group. All wildlife in The Parklands should be observed from a distance, including fawn. It might appear that the fawn was abandoned, but the mother is not far and will return.

If you think a fawn you encounter is injured, still do not approach or touch it. Touching a fawn can derail the imprinting process between mom and baby. Imprinting enables the doe to identify her baby and vice versa.

For more information on injured or orphaned wildlife, please visit the links below.

http://secondchanceswildlife.org/is-it-really-orphaned/

http://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Injured-and-Orphaned-Wildlife.aspx

Sources:

https://www.wildlifecenter.org/baby-deer

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/w/white-tailed-deer/

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About the Author

As Manager of Marketing and Communications, Anna Rosales-Crone manages internal and external communications strategies for The Parklands, as well as marketing to promote facility rentals, educational programming, fundraising and overall park awareness. Anna was hired as Communications Coordinator in May of 2015 to help build awareness of the newly constructed park by managing The Parklands brand, website and social media. Prior to joining The Parklands team, she worked in communications at the American Red Cross for five years where she grew the Louisville Area Chapter’s digital and social media presence while supporting public relations, marketing and special events. She also provided public affairs support and guidance during major disaster operations. Anna is a graduate of the University of Evansville where she met her husband and the second love of her life—traveling. She also enjoys hiking, reading, baking, dancing, going to concerts and hanging out with her two cats. Contact me about: media relations, photo requests and website.