The Brave Little Orphan
This is the story behind our newest member of the Brenton Peninsula Bushbuck Family... On the morning of the 12th of October 2017, a doe gave birth to a seemingly healthy fawn. She must have fallen pregnant just before Knysna fires of 7 June 2017 as bushbuck have a gestation period (the duration of the pregnancy) of about 6 months. Unfortunately the young doe left the fawn umbilical cord and all right where she gave birth, now there may be various reasons for this, it could have to do with the recent stress the bushbuck have been going through including a shortage of food, despite the green appearance, most of the plants growing are inedible to the bushbuck, like the Bracken Fern. The truth is we will never really know. Day one went by and mom didn’t return, the same thing happened day two and by day three a very Weak, dehydrated and frightened little fawn still walking around with its afterbirth,...