The story of a deer named Pippin and a Great Dane dog named Kate has captivated the globe – with reports in the L.A. Times, Macleans magazine, on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and spawning a whole YouTube channel of captivating videos that have received more than 2.3 million views. Most recently, a PBS video promoting an episode of Animal Odd Couples is making the rounds on the Internet and currently has more than 1 million views.
The description on YouTube sets up the action: “After being abandoned by her mother, a baby fawn, Pippin, was adopted by a Great Dane, Kate, and they have been best friends ever since. Kate’s owner Isobel Springett describes the uniqueness of their relationship: ‘When they greet each other, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not a deer greeting a deer. It’s not a dog greeting a dog. It’s definitely something that they have between the two of them.’"
According to the duo’s Facebook page, Kate the Great Dane “adopted Pip when her mom got scared by the neighbor’s dogs and ran away.” Photographer Isobel Springett, who rescued the fawn, has since created a website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, calendar and even a book about the unlikely pairing, with the help of her brother Martin. However, often when a wild animal is rescued by a human, controversy follows.
Controversy over rescuing fawns
While you’re enjoying the heartwarming videos and book, wildlife experts issue a word of caution. According to Gord Hitchcock, a conservation officer with the Ministry of Environment interviewed for Macleans magazine, “If you find a fawn, it’s a requirement to notify an officer.”
The best place for an orphaned animal, say the experts, is a wildlife refuge where the animal is raised without any human imprinting. They note that fawns are often left on their own for days while the mother is off foraging for food.
Springett responded on Facebook: “Looks like Macleans may be making the article into a controversy piece. I don’t understand why the press doesn’t concentrate more on the positives of this story, rather than harping on about the legalities of taking in an orphaned fawn. Like my son said last night, ‘Why is it OK to kill an animal but not help one?’
“We’re on 35 acres of wilderness with everything a deer needs to survive and thrive. I have a ton of experience with animals. We don’t have an urban deer problem, they’re wild. I don’t recommend taking in orphaned wildlife to anyone. It just happened and it’s a beautiful story that I get to share with thousands of people. Why can’t they just go with that?”
Deer will often abandon their fawns for days at a time to forage for food. Experts interviewed in Macleans emphasized that this is normal behavior for deer, and that if a fawn is lying curled up and still, it is simply obeying its mother and staying put for hours or days, if necessary, until her return. They note that the only sign a fawn may be abandoned is if it is wandering around and appears lost, hungry or sick.
Meet Grandma
Despite the controversy, Pippin is now a mother to twin fawns of her own and living out in the wild. She and her “kids” still return “home” to visit, enjoy a good meal, and spend time with Kate, a little grey around the whiskers now as she plays ‘Grandma’ to twins Hidy and Zeke.