Arizona man 'kidnaps' three-day-old fawn from its mother and takes it to a bar to show off to friends

  • Three-day-old fawn was 'kidnapped' from its mother and taken out of the wild  
  • Wildlife officials said the unidentified man took the fawn to a bar to show off  
  • The newborn deer will now be forced to a life of captivity, officials said 
  • Video shows baby deer receiving around-the-clock care from wildlife experts 

By Valerie Edwards For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:53 EST, 8 August 2017 | Updated: 15:54 EST, 8 August 2017

A three-day-old fawn was 'kidnapped' from his mother in the wild by an Arizona man who took it to a bar to show off to friends.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was notified of the incident when patrons at the bar reported the man to authorities. 

On Saturday, wildlife officials took possession of the deer fawn. Authorities said the newborn will now be forced to a life in captivity and is receiving around-the-clock care from experts. 

'This truly is an unfortunate situation for this deer fawn. Instead of living a life in the wild, it must now remain in captivity due to the irresponsible actions of one person,' said Mike Demlong, AZGFD Wildlife Education program manager.

A three-day-old fawn (pictured) was 'kidnapped' from his mother in the wild by an Arizona man who took it to a bar to show off to friends.

A three-day-old fawn (pictured) was 'kidnapped' from his mother in the wild by an Arizona man who took it to a bar to show off to friends.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was notified of the incident when patrons at the bar reported the man to authorities. On Saturday, wildlife officials took possession of the deer fawn

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was notified of the incident when patrons at the bar reported the man to authorities. On Saturday, wildlife officials took possession of the deer fawn

Authorities said the newborn will now be forced to a life in captivity and is receiving around-the-clock care from experts. A video of the baby deer, which weighs no more than five pounds, showed wildlife experts handfeeding him with a bottle of milk (pictured)

Authorities said the newborn will now be forced to a life in captivity and is receiving around-the-clock care from experts. A video of the baby deer, which weighs no more than five pounds, showed wildlife experts handfeeding him with a bottle of milk (pictured)

'The fawn is healthy, but requires feeding every three to four hours, which is time consuming and costly in the long run. The Department will keep the fawn for a few days to ensure it is healthy and feeding well, then it will be transferred to wildlife sanctuary in Arizona.'

Kellie Tharp, the chief of education at AZGFD, told Fox 10 that the man took the deer to the bar to 'see if anybody else wanted to take it home'. 

A video of the baby deer, which weighs no more than five pounds, showed wildlife experts handfeeding him with a bottle of milk. 

The adorable little deer was then placed into a small kennel and prepared for transportation. 

'Now that the fawn's been in our care, you see that it was being bottle fed, it's being imprinted. It's relying on humans, it doesn't have a fear of humans so this fawn is non-releaseable,' Tharp said. 

Officials said the fawn will eventually be transferred to Keepers of the Wild Nature Park near Kingman.

The adorable little deer was then placed into a small kennel and prepared for transportation to receive care 

The adorable little deer was then placed into a small kennel and prepared for transportation to receive care 

Officials said the fawn will eventually be transferred to Keepers of the Wild Nature Park near Kingman. The public has been asked to keep wildlife wild by leaving baby wildlife alone

Officials said the fawn will eventually be transferred to Keepers of the Wild Nature Park near Kingman. The public has been asked to keep wildlife wild by leaving baby wildlife alone

The public has been asked to keep wildlife wild by leaving baby wildlife alone. 

Young wildlife is rarely abandoned so there is often little reason to 'rescue it'. One or both of its parents is likely nearby searching for food and will return.

Baby birds and bunnies are the most common wildlife species misguidedly removed from the wild by the public. 

The public has also been invite to donate to the little deer's cost of care, and members of the public can also help name the baby fawn on the AZGFD's Facebook page. 

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