[barb1191]

This tiny deer was delivered by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital after his mother was killed by a car. Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult's hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire. He has only recently opened his eyes. Les Stocker, founder of Tiggywinkles, said: ¡Rupert's mother had very severe injuries. We brought him out and got him breathing and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube.

Rupert pulls a striking pose for the camera Staff are optimistic Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery. ¡Deer are very, very tricky but this one has spirit. He's an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy, Mr Stocker said.

Asleep: Rupert takes 40 winks

[Whalen]

Is there anything we can do to help?

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by Whalen

Is there anything we can do to help?

Thanks but if you know how to d/l pictures to this new format, would appreciate it. The pics of the little deer were so adorable, but not easy to look at posted separately.

I need a lesson in Posting Pictures 1.01

[chelsea24]

Barb, what a picture of beauty and innocence. Wow, thanks for posting.

p.s. how are you feeling dahling??? love, chels

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by chelsea24

Barb, what a picture of beauty and innocence. Wow, thanks for posting.

p.s. how are you feeling dahling??? love, chels

Feeling good thank you Chels. Hope all is well with you and yours. Bill and I do so enjoy all the posts describing the fun, fun, fun y'all are having in TV......hugs, Barb

[tony]

Here's the fifth one Barb posted.

[IMG][/IMG]

[BritParrothead]

Sorry to be the bringer of sad news:

Published Date:
02 October 2008
By Parveen Devlin
Reporter
GUTTED' is the feeling of staff at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham after the sad death of little Rupert a tiny muntjac deer on Wednesday afternoon.
The six inch baby who was delivered by caesarean section earlier this week was dicing with death from the beginning of birth after his mother died from serious head injuries.

At just over a pound in weight he was kept in a life supporting incubator in intensive care and was thought to be two or three weeks premature. He had all the symptoms of a premature human baby. His lungs were not inflating properly and problems emerged after he was not able to ingest his mothers milk (colostrum).

Staff tried to give him the milk of a lamb but unfortunately he did not digest that properly because he needed his mother's bacteria.
Staff knew that he had an unpredictable chance of survival but held onto hope as they tried this method of keeping him alive. It is only their second baby deer at the centre which they have had to deliver by caesarean and so everything was under trial and error.

Founder of the centre, Les Stocker predicted that the odds were against Rupert earlier in the week when he spoke to The Bucks Herald. He said that everyone was worried about him as they had not seen anything so tiny