Orphan Baby Antelope

Baby Antelope
Originally uploaded by RanaMuck

It is so young! On the way to the field this morning I saw it on the side of the road and no adult around so I stopped to take a photo. Then I realised it was hanging around a dead adult antelope.

I watched for a while and it went to the dead antelope and tried to find food (Click here to see the baby with the adult). I wonder if it is the mom or not. It wasn't roadkilled, dragged, and I couldn't tell if it was shot. I thought also that maybe the antelope died giving birth because the baby looks SO young it can barely walk. It was on the "wrong side" of the fence which is the road side so that is one reason I thought it might be just born because there is no way it hopped the fence. I wanted to get it on the "right" side of the fence so it wouldn't get hit but I couldn't pick it up safely and couldn't find a nearby gate. It came up to within a foot of me bleating and curious but I was afraid to touch it because I didn't want to scare it and make it run out in the road scared and then get hit by a semi-truck; there are so many on that highway. I left it because I couldn't really help it and the fence crew was nearby fixing the entire length of fence so I figured they'd find it and help it. Also it didn't seem to want to go to the road, it wanted to stay by the dead adult so I figured it wouldn't be hit. When I came back through on my way home it was no where to be seen but I still saw the dead adult.

I will see if its still around tomorrow morning on my way to the field. I hope its happy somewhere.

***Update***
I found where you can TIP the Wyoming Fish and Game online about poaching. I think this adult may have been poached so I reported it so they can decide if it was or not. So if baby is by chance still hanging around and I didn't see it when I went back through later in the day a warden should find it and help it. I will let you all know if I see it again tomorrow morning. I hope it found a new momma or its real momma found it.

***Update***
I didn't see it walking around when I drove past this morning on my way to the field.