Roadside caesarean saved dead doe's fawn

A baby muntjac deer has made a miraculous recovery after a man performed a roadside caesarean to remove it from its dead mother’s womb. The animal was saved by the actions of an undercover animal welfare investigator who came across the body of a doe while driving near Cromer, Norfolk, in the early hours of Wednesday. He had initially intended to drag the dead animal to the side of the road, but as he got closer he noticed that something was moving inside it.



The man, who wishes to remain anonymous because of his job, said: “Its stomach was really extended and something was thrashing about inside, so I ran back to grab my pocket knife and performed an emergency caesarean. When I got it out, I held it by its back legs to gently shake it like you do with a lamb and then cleared its airway. It is a miracle in itself that it was not injured when its mother was hit.”



He immediately took the tiny female fawn to the home of Wendy Valentine, who is the founder of Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Frettenham, near Norwich, where he works. Ms Valentine said: “You have to be very quick because once the mother dies the baby also dies very quickly, so the deer must have only just been hit. When it first came in I was not sure the little deer was going to make it. But I am glad it has just about pulled through.”



The pair dried off the animal with a hairdryer before feeding her with a special mixture called colostrum to help boost her immune system. The animal is now on the road to recovery and is being looked after by the investigator who saved it. He said: “It is perhaps something you will never come across again in your lifetime and I am just thankful that I knew what to do. I feel really proud of myself to be honest.” When it is old enough, it will be released with other deer looked after by Hillside Animal Sanctuary.