- Title: Dublin students study vulnerable baby deer in first weeks of life
- Date: 24th June 2021
- Summary: DUBLIN, IRELAND (JUNE 24, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FAWN'S EAR BEING TAGGED BY WILDLIFE ECOLOGY STUDENT TRACKERS VARIOUS OF TRACKERS MEASURING FAWN WILDLIFE ECOLOGY PHD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, LAURA GRIFFIN, AND OTHER TRACKERS PUTTING FAWN INTO BAG FOR WEIGHING GRIFFIN WEIGHING FAWN IN BAG GRIFFIN RELEASING FAWN FROM BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILDLIFE ECOLOGY PHD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, LAURA GRIFFIN, SAYING: "So every year during June time, when the fawns are being born from the fallow deer herd out here, we come out and we are part of the management team that tags them. We get some important science-related data, such as their weights, the different dimensions - just everything to keep track of the welfare of the herd; different DNA samples and things like that." VARIOUS OF TRACKERS WALKING WITH NETS TRACKERS LOCATING A FAWN TRACKERS RESTRAINING FAWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILDLIFE ECOLOGY PHD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, LAURA GRIFFIN, SAYING: "We walk in a row, all together, until we see a fawn. We will then circle around it and one of our team will make the move to catch it in the net. So once we've caught it, it's very important to reduce the stress that is on the fawn. So we will cover its eyes so that it feels more secure and safe; it can't see what's happening around it, it reduces the stress. And we'll also then hold down its legs to keep it in a secure position where it's nice and safe and secure; it's not going to hurt any of us, it's not going to hurt itself." GRIFFIN ASSESSING FAWN GRIFFIN TAGGING FAWN'S EAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILDLIFE ECOLOGY PHD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, LAURA GRIFFIN, SAYING: "Fawns are left on their own for the first two weeks of their lives. That's one of the defensive behaviours that they have as a prey species. They're not strong enough to keep up with the herd when it runs, so what their mother will do is keep them hidden in long grass or nettles, wooded areas, anywhere where they can be safe or secure. She'll go back every couple of hours to feed them, but for that short period, their instinct is to lay really still and to avoid predators. So if a predator were to see them, they're too small to have a chance to outrun it, so they lie really still." GRIFFIN CHECKING FAWN'S HEARTBEAT GRIFFIN MEASURING FAWN GRIFFIN SHAVING SMALL SAMPLE OF FUR FROM FAWN GRIFFIN BAGGING SAMPLE TRACKERS RESTRAINING FAWN / STETHOSCOPE BEING APPLIED TO FAWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILDLIFE ECOLOGY PHD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, LAURA GRIFFIN, SAYING: "One of the most important things to communicate at this time of the year is if you find a fawn on its own, please don't touch it. Leave it alone. If you get your scent on it, there's the potential that the mother could reject it. They are not abandoned. They have been hidden on purpose. And in the next couple of weeks, they will be joining their mother out in the herd, so it's very important that if you see one, give it plenty of space. Don't bother it, don't touch it. It's mum is going to come back for it." GRIFFIN RELEASING FAWN FROM BAG
- Embargoed: 8th July 2021 14:18
- Keywords: Deer Dublin park Phoenix Park fawns nature tagging tag wildlife
- Location: DUBLIN, IRELAND
- City: DUBLIN, IRELAND
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Environment,Europe,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA001EIRFM13
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Visitors to Dublin's Phoenix Park hoping to catch sight of its fallow deer herd may come across the unusual sight of Laura Griffin and her team walking uniformly along the long grass, nets in hand.
The wildlife ecology PhD student is looking for the 100 or so fawns born in the park each June and July so she and her team can assess and tag them while they spend the first two weeks of their lives hidden away from the main herd.
"We get some important science-related data, such as their weights, the different dimensions - just everything to keep track of the welfare of the herd," Griffin told Reuters.
The eight strong tagging team comb the grass in an almost military formation and signal with a whistle for the rest to circle in when a fawn is spotted.
One of the group then makes the move to catch it in their butterfly net.
"Once we've caught it, it's very important to reduce the stress that is on the fawn so we will cover its eyes so that it feels more secure and safe," said Griffin.
Fallow deer were imported from Britain into the park in the 17th century and some of the deer roaming around one of the largest city parks in Europe are the descendants of those original deer, according to Ireland's Office of Public Works.
The ear tags allow the researchers to identify each deer, provide an insight into their biology and behaviour and change colour every year so it is possible age each of the 600 animals which are a proud part of the city.
A hair sample, shaved from each fawn's belly, contains cortisol that can measure the stress levels of both the baby and their mother while they were pregnant.
While it may look like the fawns' mothers abandon their young soon after birth, they are in fact only temporarily left until they become strong enough to outrun any potential predators with the older deer.
Griffin said it's critical that members of the public leave young deer alone if they ever come across them.
"If you get your scent on it, there's the potential that the mother could reject it. They are not abandoned. They have been hidden on purpose," she said.
"It's very important that if you see one, give it plenty of space. Don't bother it, don't touch it. It's mum is going to come back for it."
(Production: Clodagh Kilcoyne, Ben Dangerfield) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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