Deer Make Home in Boystown

A doe found shelter behind a Boystown apartment building and gave birth to two fawns

Boystown residents got a few unexpected visitors in the past few days: a mother deer and her two fawns.

The doe found her way to a secluded, gravel courtyard behind an apartment building in the North Side neighborhood and gave birth.

No one seems to know exactly how she got to her unusual new home. According to Chicago Wildlife News, the doe likely had to walk down an alley, turn into a narrow gangway and pass through a gate of a chain-link fence.

"It sounds as peculiar to me as it does to you," Kevin Luby, a naturalist at Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook Wildlife Center told Wildlife News. "She might have gotten herself in the situation and had an emergency birth right there. I don't think it's something she would have chosen."

The fawns appear to be doing well. They are able to prance on the small stones in the area, however they are unable to keep up with their mom, who often leaves during the day to forage.

The fawns can be heard crying while the mother deer is off during the day. They reportedly took shelter under an air conditioning unit during last week's storms.

Experts say it's best not to move the deer. Chicago Animal Care and Control is aware of the situation, but the organization generally leaves animals alone unless they pose a threat or are injured. According to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, who have been keeping an eye on the deer, intervention is not yet necessary.

In recent years, the Chicago area's deer population has increased, and this is certainly not the first case of deer within city limits. Nevertheless, those in the Lake View community seem interested in their new neighbors.

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