Flora’s Trip Back Home

Sometimes, plans just don’t work out.  Last Wednesday afternoon, with the folks on standby at the museum for our arrival, Flora had other ideas.

  She had become quite a baby again while in rehab at the Florida Wild Mammal Association, and just loved to be petted and talked to. But when Maria (a friend and caretaker at the museum) and I slipped into her pen to start the process, Flora sensed that something was up.  I had planned to quickly stick her and inject the sedative into her hip and let her run off to get sleepy. But the instant the needle touched her she was gone, sedative still in the syringe.  She remembered needles and wanted no part of what was next. Understandably, she refused to come back and we realized she would have to be darted and it would take another week for us to arrange for the entire affair.

This week, Mike Jones, the daddy of all the creatures at the Tallahassee Museum of Natural History, showed up with his blow gun to escort one of his wayward Whitetails home.

My friend Mike Jones with a little Red Shouldered Hawk

With the stealth of a panther and the precision of hungry Bushman, Mike planted his dart painlessly in Flora’s left hip from about 8 paces.  We retreated and waited quietly while she succumbed to the sedative and layed down for a nice nap.

After a quick exam to make sure all was well we loaded her into a carrier and then into Mike’s station wagon and headed for the Museum. Although she stirred and vocalized a bit on the trip, she did not need any more sedative to be safe.  Upon arrival Mike and I moved her carrier into her enclosure where she would be isolated from the other deer until we were sure she would be accepted again.

Susie, her dedicated caretaker, was just beaming her radiant smile when she saw that I had her Flora back. She carefully helped her still sleepy body out of the carrier for a complete approval inspection.  I think these photos will tell it all.

Susie gets her little Flora back home.

Susie gets the run-down on the surgical procedure

Flora wakes up right on cue.

Flora is still doing well. She is happy to be home and all of the other animals, including the turkeys, remember her.  I know I always will too. You too, Susie.