Rescued Cambridgeshire deer's baby dies from brain injury

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A fawn born after its mother was hit by a car has died from a brain injury, animal rescuers have said.

A driver took the fawn's injured mother to Fenland Animal Rescue after finding her at the roadside in Cambridgeshire.

A scan found the doe was heavily pregnant, and she gave birth at the centre last Sunday, staff said.

The fawn died on Friday from a brain injury most likely caused by the accident, a vet told rescuers.

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Fenland Animal Rescue's founder Joshua Flanagan said the baby's death was "a sad day for everyone".

"But this is, unfortunately, the harsh reality of wildlife rehabilitation for ourselves," he added.

Mr Flanagan had previously said deer were difficult to treat and often had to be put down as human contact causes them too much stress.

But the mother was "still doing fine", he said.

He added: "She went a little funny after [the fawn] passed, but due to her being so young she never really understood what was happening anyway.

"She is now back to her full self and eating fine."

The centre is set to release the doe back into the wild on Christmas Eve - earlier than initially planned.