Twin fawns born May 22 are said to be in excellent condition following a caesarian section delivery which took place on E Highway, moments after the death of their mother.
The life-saving emergency procedure was performed by Daniel LeBlanc and Jack Jones, with assistance from Tim Parish and LeBlanc’s son, Darius Miller.
At about 8:15 that morning, LeBlanc said he was driving to his job site on Highway E.
“I was almost at West Point Church when I had to slow down for a deer crossing the road in front of me,” he said.
As the deer cleared his path LeBlanc said he started to pick up speed and move forward. A movement on the roadside caught his attention.
“I saw the doe. I could see that she was down and struggling to get up,” he said.
LeBlanc stopped the vehicle, and he and Miller, who was a passenger with him, got out to investigate.
“I noticed that she had milk, and that her stomach was swollen.”
More importantly, they could see that her baby was kicking, said LeBlanc.
He phoned his sister-in-law, Heather Jones, who dispatched her husband, Jack, to the scene.
LeBlanc then called 911 and requested a trooper to his location.
The game warden was also contacted; however, before help could arrive it was becoming obvious that the doe was dying and needed to be put down.
That accomplished, LeBlanc and Jones, who had arrived by that time, decided to try and save the baby. Parish, another driver, also had stopped to offer his assistance.
After only a few minutes, the two “roadside surgeons” delivered not one, but two healthy fawns, a male and female.
There are no local services equipped to care for rescued wildlife; therefore, the brothers-in-law transported the newborns to a center in Dittmer, Missouri.
The fawns were named “Jack” and “Dani” by their caregiver, who keeps the rescuers informed about their progress, said LeBlanc.
Although he and Jones are credited with the actual delivery, LeBlanc said, “it was a group effort.”
He said, “This has been an experience I will never forget. I feel like God just orchestrated the whole thing.”
Jack and Dani will remain at the center, where they will be nurtured until they are able to be weaned. Afterward, they will be brought back to Ripley County and released, said LeBlanc.