Up until the morning he died, Blake was feeling very good. His energy was strong, his eyes were bright and his temperature was normal. He was high spirited, running around and eating normally. He was, in fact, a punky little son-of-a-gun who kept Kate on her toes with his little baby-buck ways. He was so happy where he was living. He had free rein of a huge protected shaded property that was so big he would run out of steam before he'd reach the end of it when he ran across it. He had a small pond and ducks and chickens and tortoises and cats living with him. He loved other animals and palled around with all of them. I wanted to share this with you because I think it's something to be happy about as we mourn his loss. Once Kate and Dr. Jan got him back to health those first days after he was found starving and dehydrated collapsed in the middle of the road, he lived a great healthy and happy life free from suffering. From the very beginning Kate informed me that the mortality rate of orphaned whitetail fawns is 90% and that when they do pass away it happens very quickly with little or no warning and that's what happened with Blake. Fawns raised in the wild by their mothers, completely free of any human interference, also have a high mortality rate.

While it did not end as such, Blake's story is still one of joy 

because that's what he brought to this world the short time he was here. 

And thanks to Kate, and Dr. Jan, and Margaret, and Heather, and Sue, and Larry, 

joy was what Blake knew of this world as well. -cheryl

***

Thank You

Thank you so much for all the kind words and sympathies. 

A lot of really good hearts were broken yesterday. 

He was loved and he will be missed. -cheryl

I was the public face of Blake's rescue because I wrote his blog and FB page, but I was only a part of his rescue. 

Kate Norfleet was Blake's real rescuer and she was absolutely inspiring in the time and love she gave to Blake. With a 90% mortality rate for orphaned whitetail fawns, Kate took every minute sign of illness he showed very seriously and she's the one who spent the sleepless nights medicating him and checking up on him.

I got to spend four amazing weeks as his primary care giver while Kate was off island. It was during that time that I started this blog and a Blake FB page so Kate would know how he was doing while she was away.

I am so lucky to have Kate as a friend and I am so lucky she entrusted me with Blake's care while she was away. I will cherish the time I spent with Blake for the rest of my life just as I will remember for the rest of my life the amazing care and love Blake got from Kate.

And when the shit really hit the fan, Dr. Jan was by Blake's side in a matter of minutes. Dr. Jan cared deeply for Blake and Blake would have never made it as long as he did without her expertise, love and generosity. 


Thank you both for trusting me to help and take part in Blake’s beautiful little life. -cheryl

***

Blake passed away this morning.

Blake passed away this morning. 

Blake had been battling an often fatal condition known as bloat for the last two weeks. 

This morning his bloat symptoms had returned and he was very lethargic. 

Then Blake attempted to jump into some bushes which resulted in his falling from more than 

eight feet. He was able to get up and walk but soon collapsed. 

Dr. Jan, Blake's vet, came immediately but Blake went into shock and did not make it. 

It is with great sadness that I share this news. 

Please know that Kate is the one who saved Blake.

I merely helped Kate. -cheryl

OK, Blake is stabilized. He did not seem to bloat up too much when he ate while I was there. He got his penicillin shot and Mylocin drops. We are holding off on Pedialyte for the time being so as not to introduce too many new substances to his system at once. We are very happy with his health state right now. We are monitoring him closely because when a fawn gets fatally ill it happens extremely fast. He is good now but under close supervision. Thank you for all the supportive well wishes. I'll post an update tomorrow after we give him his Penicillin shot. -c

Blake has gotten sick. He is on Penicillin for respiratory congestion and is having stomach problems. He is getting medical attention from Dr. Jan and Kate. Today we will be putting him on Mylicon and Pedialyte for gas. Deer have a multi-chambered stomach. Problems with their stomachs when they are young are very dangerous and unfortunately common. I'll update his condition as needed. -cheryl

Adult male whitetail deer.

Hard to believe our little "Caper Maker" will look like this one day...

This morning I noticed Blake staring intently across the room and getting agitated. I looked to see what was upsetting him but there was nothing there. Then I noticed that a white label on a pillow was flapping in the breeze. I was puzzled that it was upsetting him, he is usually very calm or curious, not often agitated. 


Just as I was about to say “Don't tell me you're afraid of a little label” I realized: 
There is a white label flapping in the wind. 
Blake is a white tailed deer. 
They alert each other to danger by flashing the white underside of their tails to each other. 


So I decided to go with it. I sounded my “danger” noise, scooped him up, cut off the label then put him back down and made my “happy noise”. He looked over at the pillow, saw no danger sign, and was totally back to his usual laid-back self. 


He is so damn smart.

***

Who, What, Where, When... Sorta

Blake is a 2 week old orphaned whitetail fawn on St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Just days old, he was found wandering onto the road in an area where an adult female deer had recently died.


Found by Margaret Majette & Heather Ruhsam, Blake was taken to the Norfleet Wildlife Refuge and Wine Bar (NWR+WB) after several attempts at returning him to the bush ended with him wandering back to the road.


Senior staff at the NWR+WB are scheduled for an extensive immersion course in the study of foreign wildlife and wine drinking, so after spending his critical first week there, Blake has temporarily been relocated to The Animal House at The Tourist Trap. In the coming weeks he will also be looked after by The Littlefield Trust for All Things Seriously Unbelievably Cute. Blake will then return to the NWR+WB until he can be safely reintroduced to the wild. 

Many people have stepped up to the aide of this orphan. Special thanks to the earliest members of Blake’s “village” who saved him and, in doing so, gave us all the gift of being able to help raise him: Margaret Majette, Heather Ruhsam, Kate Norfleet, Diana Ripley, Jude Woodcock, Sue Littlefield, Heidi, The ACC, Cruz Bay Canines Cats & Critters & Dr. Jan Perkins. 

I cannot apologize enough to anyone who is left off this list of Blake’s rescuers. I do not have all the details of Blake’s rescue, so please let me know anyone whose help I have neglected to mention.  

This introduction to Blake must end with my explaining that when all is said and done, this animal owes it’s life to Mademoiselle Norfleet. All the efforts of everyone else would have been for naught if Kate had not beat unsurmountable odds and kept this little guy alive in his critical first days. Blake has survived solely because of the incredibly demanding week long - literally round the clock – feeding and cleaning vigil that Kate heroically provided. Don’t be fooled by Blake’s charming good looks, his care was a grueling task that required ferocious diligence and prodigious love. Blake is alive because Kate Norfleet lavished him with both in spades. As soon as Blake is 100% “out of the woods” (i.e. healthy and strong enough to go back into the woods) I am gonna go dart in and out of traffic on Centerline Road in the hopes that someone will take me to go live at The Norfleet Wildlife Refuge and Wine Bar. It is heaven on earth overseen by a true angel. 


Now I must go post a seriously important blog entry which will contain subject matter that is the real reason this blog was created: pictures of poop.  

Please Note: This is a quick recap of the limited information I have. More details and any needed corrections soon come...