Young pronghorn antelopes are expert hiders, known for tucking themselves into hard-to-see spots and laying motionless beneath tall grasses and foliage to protect themselves from predators like bobcats and coyotes.
Typically, pronghorn antelope young only spend 20 minutes on their own each day, when their mother goes off to find them food.
But in early summer, a fawn in Washington was separated from its herd — and befriended a dog that took the antelope home to its owners.
According to The Lewiston Tribune, the dog’s owners tried to return the antelope to its mother, but she never returned. Seeking help, the locals took the fawn to Washington State University.
“Unfortunately, pronghorn are very flighty,” Marcie Logsdon, WSU veterinarian in the exotic and wildlife department, told the Tribune. “They don’t tend to let people get very close to them, and … the finders did the right thing.”
Logdson, who went on to rehabilitate and bottle-feed the fawn, praised the locals for trying to rewild it as soon as possible.
“I want to compliment the finders on the fact that they first tried to find the family and reunite,” Logsdon continued. “Because if they had managed to, that would have been the best possible outcome for this situation, so we really appreciate that they tried.”
The fawn became the first pronghorn antelope rehabilitated in Washington state.
But when it became clear that it could not survive in the wild on its own, Logsdon and her colleagues began planning for the fawn’s future.
They reached out to the Minnesota Zoo, which has “over four decades of experience and nationally recognized expertise” in caring for pronghorn antelope.
“Dr. Logsdon sought a home with experienced pronghorn caregivers,” the Minnesota Zoo posted on their official Facebook page. “That's where we come in!”
With a home in Minnesota secured, the veterinarians at WSU originally planned to send her there on a plane.
However, the team feared that the trip — by cargo hold — would be too stressful for the young fawn.
So instead, Logsdon decided to drive her there by car, in a cross-country road trip that covered roughly 1,500 miles and took 22 hours.
“We were actually able to get her over there very early on, which was good because they are a somewhat high-stress species and don’t always deal well with changes,” she said.
As the fawn settled into her new home, the Minnesota Zoo asked Logsdon what she’d like to name the fawn. Again and again, the vet told the zookeepers that they could choose whatever they thought fit best.
So they chose to name her Marcie.
“They ended up going ahead and naming her after me, which I thought was very sweet, especially since there were so many people involved in helping get this little friend to her new home,” she said.
“The fact that they chose to name her after me, that was quite the honor.”
As of August, Logsdon told The Lewiston Tribune that she was receiving regular updates on her dainty, big-eared friend, and that Marcie seemed to be settling in nicely.
Diana Weinhardt, curator of the Minnesota Zoo’s Northern Trail habitat, told Washington State University that Marcie was welcomed with open arms.
“North American species, like pronghorn, have vibrant stories that don’t always get the attention they deserve,” Weinhardt explained. “As the fifth largest zoo in the country, the Minnesota Zoo is unique in the number of North American species in our care.”
“To me,” she added, “pronghorn are the forgotten, cool part of our prairies, and this fawn will be a remarkable ambassador for her counterparts in the wild.”
Header images via WSU College of Veterinary Medicine / Ted S. Warren
