Unlikely friendships are the best kinds of friendships. A sailor and a shark. A cat and a bunch of tiny goats. A mouse and a mini Babybel. An apple and a worm. But today we’re looking at a friendship that has blossomed between a racoon and a fawn.
“The whole purpose of the Jasper/Hope video was to get a smile or a giggle out of whomever saw it! This world is tough and a little humor never hurt anyone!” said Carrie Long, the founder of Texas Fawn and Friends.
So how did it come to this?
Carrie Long of Texas Fawn and Friends, a non-profit organization for orphaned and injured fawns, received a call last year regarding an injured raccoon
Carrie had been used to caring for injured and abandoned fawns, but the call she received last year was a little different.
The licensed wildlife rehabilitator listened to the speaker on the other end of the line who’d found a 2-3 week old raccoon clinging to life. Abandoned by its mom and caught in a rainstorm, it didn’t have many lifelines. Carrie simply couldn’t leave a creature in need behind, so she decided to take it in.
Although they weren’t sure whether Jasper would recover well, the raccoon was growing up well and healthy, all thanks to their loving care. Despite reaching adulthood and being free to go anywhere he wanted, Jasper decided to continue calling Carrie’s non-profit his home.
A young fawn arrived at Texas Fawn and Friends soon after Jasper. Carrie named her Hope. She had lost her mother at a young age and was in need of care. The youngster would never have to be alone again, as Jasper was soon by her side.
The two would grow up together, although the growth spurts are a bit different per species.
“Jasper just loves her,” Carrie said. “When he sees her, he runs to lick and love on her. In the evening, she comes and lays next to him. It’s just the cutest thing”
“Raccoons bite when they play and he loves to just pounce on her! Why she allows it is way beyond me!” she continued. “He means no harm, but on occasion she will get enough of him and she will strike at him. She puts him in his place and he’s like, ‘oh, I’m sorry!’ and they will carry on!”
Carrie expects that she’ll have over 100 orphaned fawns under her care, most if not all of which would not have survived without Texas Fawn and Friends and Carrie’s dedication to her work. “It’s very rewarding,” she said. But each of us can play a part in helping fawns in need and the best thing we can do is leave them alone.
Does the fawn appear hurt or distressed? Is it bleeding? Are there visibly broken bones? Are there flies on the fawn or is there an odor? Is the fawn wet or shivering? Is the fawn making noise? Crying out? Mouth slightly open and panting? Are its legs laying out to its side or tucked safely underneath its body? Are its eyes open?
“Mother deer leave their young by themselves for long periods during the day and night, this is to prevent the fawn from becoming exhausted as it would if following its mother all day as she browses for food. The best thing you can do for this beautiful animal is to walk away as soon as possible.”
Carrie hopes to expand Texas Fawn And Friends in the near future. “I’d like to have a clinic and do webinars to educate the general public,” she said. “Our wildlife can teach us all so much, I’d just like to be able to show and educate more people.”
“If we don’t give back, we will wake up one day to limited wildlife. Seeing wildlife in a zoo is not the norm, although it has its purpose and it’s wonderful for those that live in an area that don’t have access to nature, but we need to respect wildlife and their natural habitat!”