(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The Girdwood-based Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center's staff recently welcomed its second newborn Sitka Black-tailed deer of the summer from Southeast Alaska.

The fawn, named “Leia” was found near the coast of Ketchikan after it was discovered that she was unable to follow her twin and mother across a waterway to safety. Leia, then six weeks old, was in a race against time as the Department of Fish & Game rescued her, just as her strength began to dwindle without the aid of her mother.

“With such a unique and touching story I am sure Leia, will fit right in with our other orphaned fawn Solo,” lead naturalist Erin Leighton said. Solo, having joined the AWCC just over a month ago has quickly become a favorite of visitors to the Center. With Leia regaining her strength she was deemed healthy enough to meet Solo just over a week ago.

The fawn, named "Solo" wandered into a family's yard in Edna Bay in Southeast Alaska and spent time with the couple's dogs, all the time not eating and becoming weaker and weaker. The couple took action and began giving him a bottle, and after days of their caretaking the little one began to regain his strength. Meanwhile, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was working with officials from the ADF&G. "Solo" was welcomed to the AWCC in June.

The two fawns are currently on display together at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where they continue to grow. When they are bigger, the two fawns will join Jewelie, an eight year-old Sitka black - tailed deer, where the three will one day be on exhibit together.

Jewelie is an orphaned Sitka black-tailed deer that arrived in 2004, and is the star of Animal Planet’s “Growing up Baby”. She was found wandering on a beach in Prince William Sound after her mother had been killed by a brown bear. Some boaters spotted her and saw the body of her mother nearby in a bear’s food cache. They quickly carried her to safety and brought her to the wildlife center. Jewelie weighed just 5 pounds when she arrived at AWCC.

Girdwood is located south of Anchorage, Alaska.

Source of News: 

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
www.alaskawildlife.org

SitNews ©2012
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.