Jersey cow saves young fawn in Tennessee

Tuesday 14 February 2017

Jersey cows are famous across the world for their cute looks and great milk - but now one of them has been hitting the headlines in Tennessee for another reason...get ready to say..."ahhhhh!"

On a small farm just south of Franklin, Tennessee, a Jersey cow has formed an unlikely relationship with a young fawn.

It was reported by The Tennessean that the cow grew fond of the fawn that had been visiting her pasture in search of its lost mother.

Frans Bernardo, owner of the cow, explained that the Jersey took to the fawn and started licking it. After the motherly introduction, the fawn began sucking the cow's milk....and then didn’t leave.

Mr Bernardo told the Tennessean: "She’s a great mom, actually. He (the fawn) took to her right away. He must have smelled the milk on her udder and took off and started sucking on her."

Russ Skoglund, a wildlife biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in Middle Tennessee, wasn’t surprised to hear that it was a Jersey cow that the fawn chose.

Mr Skoglund told the Tennessean: "Jersey cows are notorious for producing milk and they're not going to be fussy about what it nurses."

The unlikely relationship started in July of last year and proved popular with local residents of Franklin, Tennessee. Mr Bernardo said lots of people would stop by the farm to try and catch a glimpse of the duo. He even joked about starting a Facebook page for the two of them.

 Mr Bernardo said: “Occasionally, the fawn would leave, but come back a few days later. I stuck with my sort of letting nature takes its course."

 After 6 months together, the fawn left in January and is yet to return to its adopted mother.

 However, Mr Bernardo is not concerned about the welfare of the fawn and said: "He’s obviously strong now and can go into the wild."

 Mr Skoglund agreed but said he might come back to his Jersey friend if he cannot find more deer in the wild.