When one thinks of the type of wildlife inhabiting sewers, animals like rats, snakes, opossums and raccoons often come to mind. Baby deer, or fawns, in contrast, typically aren’t found lurking in these underground pipes.
In the town of Wentzville, MO, however, a fawn is running free once again after being rescued from a storm sewer by a few brave firefighters.
According to a KMCB article, residents of the eastern Missouri town reported hearing a high-pitched wail at about 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17, and contacted the fire department.
Soon after, firefighters from the Wentzville Fire Protection District arrived at the Stone Meadow Subdivision off Highway Z, where they found the fawn trapped in the storm sewer on Jonathan Cody Drive.
After about 20 minutes, firefighters successfully freed the baby deer, who didn’t appear to be injured by its ordeal, said John Schneider, assistant chief for the Wentzville Fire Protection District. Firefighters gently brought the fawn up using a rope and their bare hands.
It’s unclear how the fawn had fallen 12 to 24 inches into the bottom of the storm sewer, Schneider said. It’s likely that the fawn could simply have fallen in accidentally, or that the area’s recent rainfall swept the animal into the hole.
Upon being freed from the storm sewer, the baby deer left the area on its own. Schneider added that the mother deer had been spotted near the area where her fawn had gotten trapped, and authorities hope the two are reunited soon.
“We are hoping they’ve been reunited,” he said.