Walpole Animal Control

They mate for life. He loses her, he sits alone. 💔

Mourning doves pair for life. They build flimsy stick nests together — known for falling apart in storms.

Both parents feed the babies "crop milk" — a nutritional secretion from their throats.

When a mate dies, the survivor often sits in the same place for weeks.

That coo at dawn isn't sad. Unless it is.

Fawn season is here. What You Need to Know 🦌

Each spring and early summer, white-tailed deer mothers leave their fawns alone for extended periods of time while they forage for food. This is completely normal behavior. Fawns are born with very little scent and rely on remaining still and hidden in tall grass, brush, or other thick cover to avoid predators. A fawn found alone is usually not orphaned and does not need to be rescued.

If you find a fawn in a dangerous location, such as near a roadway, driveway, garage, or other area where it may be at risk, you may carefully move it a short distance to nearby thick cover and then leave the area. The mother will typically return to care for her fawn once she feels it is safe.

Signs that a fawn may need professional assistance include:
• Visible injuries
• A deceased doe found nearby and you are certain she was the mother
• Obvious signs of illness or distress

If you believe a fawn is injured or truly orphaned, please contact:

📞 Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife): 508-389-6300
📞 Deer & Moose Project Leader: 508-389-6320
📞 Assistant Director of Wildlife: 508-389-6317

After normal business hours, contact:

📞 Environmental Police: 800-632-8075

⚠️ Important: Unauthorized possession of white-tailed deer is illegal in Massachusetts. Fawns should never be taken home, transported, or cared for by members of the public.

The best thing you can do for a healthy fawn is often the simplest: admire it from a distance and allow nature to take its course. Mom is usually closer than you think.

'From mid-May to early July, thousands of female turtles across Massachusetts travel to lay eggs, commonly resulting in them crossing roads.' [Masswildlife]

Please slow down if you see one in the street and exercise some patience. It will cross. If it makes you 5 or 10 minutes late to work or to pick up your child from school, just tell those at your destination that you were yielding to wildlife in order to protect it and its offspring.

If you absolutely need to move it along, please:

🐢pick it up gently and grab the rear third of its shell, just above its back legs (to avoid being bitten if it should extend its neck), and also keep your eyes on its claws;

🐢stay low to the ground as you move it along, so that if it reacts or stresses, which may involve it kicking its legs, you don't drop it from an elevated height;

🐢only move it in the direction it is already headed, otherwise it will try to cross the street again-it has a planned destination.

Please understand that we cannot respond to every call about a turtle crossing the street. There are 'thousands' of these remember!

And we really don't enjoy responding when they've been run over so please try to avoid it!

Also, if a turtle appears to be nesting on your property, just let it finish-it won't be more than a few hours, and then it'll leave and shouldn't return again. The eggs will be so well burried that you'll probably never even know they are there. When they hatch, in Sept/Oct, the babies will head straight to a body of water on their own. You may never even see them at that time either (unless you're really lucky!)🐢

🐢 Turtle nesting season is underway in Massachusetts, and many native turtles are on the move in search of nesting sites. During this time of year, turtles frequently cross roads near wetlands, ponds, marshes, rivers, and other aquatic habitats, making them especially vulnerable to vehicle strikes.

If you see a turtle on the road, please remember that your safety comes first. Only stop if it is safe to do so. If you can safely assist, move the turtle in the direction it was already traveling. Never return a turtle to the side it came from, as it is likely trying to reach a nesting site or important habitat and will just try to cross the road again.

If you find an injured turtle, please don't assume that nothing can be done. Wildlife rehabilitators are often able to provide care, and even when a nesting female's injuries are too severe for rehabilitation, her eggs may still be viable and can sometimes be successfully incubated and hatched.

If you accidentally hit a turtle, or find one that has been struck by a vehicle, move it safely out of the roadway if possible, place it in a ventilated container, keep it in a quiet, shaded area, and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Do not place injured turtles back into water unless instructed to do so.

Every turtle that safely reaches its destination has the chance to contribute to the future of our native wildlife. Please share this post to help spread awareness and protect Massachusetts turtles during nesting season. 💚🐢

** UPDATE- Alphie is home safe and sound with his people 🩷🐾🐾 Thank you all for sharing !!!

This little guy was picked up today at the corner of Courtney Rd and North St. if you are missing or if you recognize this little guy. Please call Animal Control at 508-660-7300 extension 117 or Walpole police nonemergency line 508-668-1095