Peeking into April Dyer's back yard, one might not know what type of animal might being bottle fed and temporarily living there. This spring found Dyer playing nursemaid to an orphaned fawn and a baby groundhog.
Dyer, who is licensed in wildlife rehabilitation through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), works for Woodland Animal Hospital and saw caring for wildlife as a natural progression.
The deer, named Nora, shares the grounds with a groundhog named George. April and her children, Luke, 16, Adam, 13, and Megan, 11, all pitch in to care for the animals until they can be returned to their natural habitat.
Dyer already has a home for Nora at an undisclosed location; George, who was brought to her when he was only a few days old, has already been turned out. George was found after a heavy rain washed out his homet.
Dyer said just because you see a baby animal without its mother, it isn't necessarily abandoned. She followed with the advice to approach the animal very carefully or to call a veterinarian, the animal shelter or the Department of Conservation since an animal suffering from distemper or other affliction and could be very dangerous. But she refuted the old adage about mothers abandoning baby animals handled by people.
She doesn't look for animals to raise as it is all done at her own expense and is quite a time commitment. Her facilities are inspected to ensure that the animals have enough room and a safe place to stay until they are capable of fending for themselves.
In compliance with MDC rules, Dyer is allowed to accept animals only from Cole County and that she cannot keep them longer than 90 days. She does not accept juvenile or adult animals, and only takes the infants in emergencies. A veterinarian, in this case her boss Dr. Alice Groner, must sign off on the activity and supervise the rehabilitation.
Although the children become attached, the family only raises the animals until they can be safely returned to a natural setting.
Dyer adds that her children have become more responsible as a result of helping with the animals. And she said even though they are cute and helpless when small, it is important to remember that deer, opossum, groundhogs and raccoons do not make good pets and can become dangerous when they mature.
The office manager at Woodland Animal Hospital, Dyer said Groner has allowed her to bring the wildlife to work since the young ones need frequent feedings. Nora was small enough to fit in a round dog bed under her work desk and stayed in it for the day.
Nora is the second deer Dyer has raised from only a few weeks of age r. She noted that although sweet, Nora did manage to eat a number of her petunias before the planters were moved outside a fence.
The family frequently enjoys evenings on their deck caring for the wildlife and watching them interact with the dogs, cats and chickens that live on the propert, and Dyer said Nora gets fawned over and hand-fed chunks of watermelon and the occasional petunia flower.