15/05/2026
Sometimes, ecological work brings you face-to-face with something very special.
While carrying out ECoW survey work for Himalayan balsam, our team came across this young fawn lying quietly in the long grass.
Although it can be tempting to step in and help, this is exactly what a young fawn is meant to do.
In the early stages of life, fawns have very little scent, which helps protect them from predators. Their natural instinct is to stay completely still, hidden in the grass, while their mother moves away to feed nearby. She will return when it is safe to do so.
If you ever come across a fawn like this, the best thing you can do is quietly back away and leave it alone.
Picking it up, moving it, or trying to “rescue” it can do far more harm than good. The mother is usually not far away and human interference can put the young animal at greater risk.
This little one was left exactly where it was found, safe and undisturbed.
It was a beautiful reminder of why careful ecological checks matter, especially when working in long grass, vegetation and sensitive habitats.
