Ruby Hulme
Innocent Eyes
Sitting quietly in the meadow was a peaceful fawn, basking in the sunlight while she waited for her mother to return. Her soft, spotted coat rustled gently in the sweet breeze, which was filled with the aroma of flowers. She closed her eyes slowly, not to sleep, but to rest.
Young Cervidae lie still for long periods of time, due to the genetic instincts to avoid attracting predators. Previous fawns have been subjected to natural selection. Those who did not sit still were killed by predators who followed their scent or movement. Sitting still is a crucial part of a fawn’s survival, it is one of their only defence mechanisms.
The hunter chuckled. He was only 100 metres away, concealed by a large oak tree. He had gone months without seeing a deer, let alone a fawn, right out in the open. His devilish grin widened as he noticed how frozen the fawn was, almost like a statue. “This should make it easy,” he snarled, baring his teeth. He could only hope no other predator would find her before he did.
The fawn blinked delicately, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterflies. You could barely see her amongst the tall grass; she was incredibly dainty. Her small ears perched in the air as she picked up a noise, hoping it was her mother. However, it was just a crunch of a stick, so she laid her head back on the grass and bleated.
Young Cervidae are extremely dependent on their mothers for food, milk, safety and warmth, similarly to young Homo Sapiens. Mothers will also lick their offspring to bond, and minimise their scent to lower the risk of attracting predators. Young Cervidae are also small to minimize energy demands for the mother deer during the gestation period. When they are born, this also gives them the advantage of concealment easier. They often weigh 6-8 pounds, also similar to young Homo Sapiens.
He took his backpack off and pulled out the heavy, scoped rifle, in the process tripping over a stick. He launched back behind the tree quickly and stood perfectly still as the fawn startled. He couldn’t believe his luck as it returned to its previous position, possibly the easiest kill he would ever get. He found it unbelievable how small it was, he had to strain his eyes to properly focus on it. At least it would be easy to sling over his shoulder. He noticed something on the floor on his right, and picked it up. It was a photo of his young daughter that had fallen out of his back pack, and he smiled warmly at her, excited to see her when he got home. He placed it in his pocket and raised the scope to get a better vision of the fawn, his finger on the trigger.
The fawn instantly became distracted from its sadness by something small shuffling in the grass near it. She hesitated, yearning for her mother to come back and protect her. However, a small brown mouse appeared and sat down a few metres away, not noticing the presence of the fawn. She watched intently as it rose and fell with quick breaths. It had been days since she had last eaten and her belly ached with hunger, but she watched patiently as the mouse shuffled away once more. Instead, she chewed on grass. Her eyes sparkled preciously as she enjoyed the serenity.
Cervidae are born with four teeth in their lower jaw, three pre molars and one molar. They later develop lower incisors and more premolars, as well as all of their baby teeth being replaced before they are two and a half years old. This is due to their being ruminant mammals and only eating plants. They do not need sharp teeth for meat, they only chew enough to digest things like browse, forbs, mast and more.
The hunter loaded the gun, still bemused by the deer's lack of knowledge of his presence. Sickened by his greed and hatred, he lined up the scope on the fawn's head. He waited for a minute, ensuring he would get a clean head shot. He fired the shot with no remorse.
She died instantly. Warm blood ran across her face cruelly, desecrating her once ethereal figure. She lay frozen on the grass, now just a memory. Her once pure and lively eyes were glazed over and empty. The harsh bullet hole jutted into her forehead, where her mother used to lick her every morning. She lay a reminder of the harsh reality of an evil world, deforming something once so innocent.
When cervids are killed, their carcasses are usually fed off by birds, predators and insects. Mother cervids grieve the loss of their offspring by licking the carcass, often coming back to the place it died, and showing physical signs of distress. Eventually, the body will be decomposed by fungi and bacteria, becoming a part of the ecosystem.
The hunter lowered the gun once more, but this time a changed man. He felt accomplished, big and strong after seeing the crumpled, bleeding body. The picture of his daughter fell out of his pocket once more, lying forgotten in the mud. He decided it was best to leave the fawn there, changing his mind as he didn’t want to get blood on his hands.
We all bleed red.
