Away from its mother, death stalks stolen Bambi

Thieves have stolen a month-old baby deer from Razzett tal-Ħbiberija which will die unless it is returned, since fawns depend on their mother’s milk for the first six months of their lives.

The deer was stolen along with four mountain goats and a parrot in the second such break-in in three years at the Marsascala park, which uses the animals for therapy with disabled children.

Staff at The Inspire Foundation, as the charity organis-ation is now called following a merger in 2009, asked the public to keep an eye open for the animals and report any-thing suspicious but pleaded with the robbers to return the little deer.

The fawn was born on the farm just over a month ago and had sentimental value to the staff who witnessed its birth.

Park coordinator Twanny Fenech said that if it remained apart from its mother – on which it depended for sustenance – its days were numbered.

The mother deer and another fawn have also suffered some bruises.

Mr Fenech said he first realised that something was amiss when the other deer looked scared while he was feeding them in the morning.

He then realised that the parrot, together with its 1.5 metre cage, was gone.

The park was unmanned between 1.30 and 5.30 a.m., making it likely that the theft took place during that time.

The foundation building is equipped with security cameras but the burglars managed to avoid surveillance. In fact, no damage was noted, raising suspicion that they jumped over a low wall.

Inspire had installed a number of CCTVs around the main building in the past, however, the logistics and expense of covering the extensive animal park as well proved too demanding for the charity.

In all, the financial loss is estimated to be worth around €1,000 but the cost is greater than that.

“The animals are important to us not only as an attraction but also for therapeutic input, making the loss a big one for us,” said Inspire CEO Nathan Farrugia.

In fact, the foundation, a leader in the local disability sector, uses the animals for human-animal interaction with the children.

In December 2007, an adult deer was bludgeoned to death in a similar break-in in which several animals including a monkey and a deer were stolen.

Earlier this year a man was imprisoned and another two received lesser sentences for the theft.