SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury Zoo just announced a surprise addition to its animal family: a white-tailed deer fawn named Lily, born on July 16. Lily's arrival came unexpectedly, as her mother, Rosie, was not known to be pregnant when she joined the zoo in March.
Zoo staff first noticed signs of labor in Rosie on the morning of July 16, prompting the veterinary team to assist with the birth after initial labor struggles. Dr. Williams, the zoo's veterinarian, intervened to help complete the delivery. After Lily’s birth, attempts to bond her with Rosie were unsuccessful, as Rosie did not display maternal instincts, leading staff to hand-raise Lily to ensure her health.
Her lack of instincts are not too surprising as Rosie joined the Salisbury Zoo earlier this year after being deemed un-releasable by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). She had been taken illegally from the wild as a fawn and, due to her habituation to humans, could not return to the wild.
Over the past three months, Lily has flourished under round-the-clock care, transitioning to a diet of produce, leaves, and grains as she nears weaning. Recently, she has started making visits to the deer yard, where she has met Rosie, another white-tailed deer named Zoe, and the zoo’s Nigerian dwarf goats. Plans are in place for Lily to soon join the deer exhibit full-time.