Fawns rescued during marijuana raid
May 25—Police have gotten used to finding guns, exploited workers and illegally diverted water when raiding marijuana grows in Southern Oregon. This time they found two caged fawns.
Events leading to the rescue of the fawns unfolded Friday when Medford Police Department executed a search warrant in the 3000 block of Quartz Creek Road in Josephine County while looking for stolen property.
They discovered 4,800 illegal marijuana plants in multiple greenhouses at the site, plus approximately 500 pounds of processed marijuana in a home, according to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office.
Medford police contacted the Josephine County Marijuana Enforcement Team to inform the team of their discovery. Multiple individuals fled the scene before they could be detained, the sheriff's office said.
The team arrived and seized and destroyed the marijuana plants and processed marijuana. While on the scene, the team also found two fawns confined in a cage. The team dismantled the cage so the fawns could be released, the sheriff's office said.
Law enforcement consulted by phone with Mathew Vargas, a wildlife conflict biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Rogue District. Vargas said Oregon State Police wildlife troopers were on the scene to assist, as well.
"We don't know why the fawns were there," Vargas said. "When the site got raided, everybody disappeared. There was no one to talk to. They were left with the mystery of these two little fawns."
Vargas said workers at the marijuana grow probably found the fawns hiding on the property and decided to take the babies to help them or keep them as pets. It's something he sees too often this time of year when fawns are newly born.
After giving birth, does leave their fawns hidden in grass or the woods for hours at a time while foraging for food. The does come back to nurse their young, then leave again.
"Fawns are very small and bony when they're first born," Vargas said. "They're not malnourished. They lay very flat and very still. They don't move a muscle. Even if you pick them up, their legs and head will droop like they have no energy. It's a defense mechanism."
He said the best thing people can do when they find a fawn is to leave it alone.
"If you see one, just back out. It's cool. The mom will come back when it's dark," he said.
After getting the fawns out of the cage, Vargas said law enforcement left the animals under a tree. Once the scene quieted down, the mother probably found her babies, he said.
"At that age, they're still reliant on their mother's milk. Based on their size, they weren't very old. It means they probably weren't held long. Their mother was probably still in the area. Hopefully they've rejoined her," he said.
Vargas estimated the fawns were less than 48 hours old. Fawns don't start walking around with their moms until they're about two to three weeks old, he said.
If the fawns hadn't been discovered during the marijuana raid and released, Vargas said they would have faced a grim fate. Fawns don't do well when humans take them from the wild, even if people have good intentions.
"They kidnap them and take them back home. It almost always ends in the fawn succumbing to malnutrition, disease or stress. They almost never survive when humans get involved," Vargas said.
He noted it's illegal to remove fawns from the wild.
Vargas said he's glad to use the news of the fawns' rescue as an opportunity to remind the public of the importance of leaving baby wild animals alone.
"Any chance we can get to spread the word to leave them be, we'll take it," he said.
Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or valdous@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.
