Rescued Reunion: Scared Baby Deer Safely Returned to Mother After Being Trapped on Coal Barge

Tennessee steam plant staff weren’t expecting to find these little critters mixed in with their cargo!

However, when they saw two baby deer aboard a moored coal barge, they knew they needed to call for help. Thankfully, experts from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency were on their way in no time. Getting the fawns to disembark was no easy task, though!

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency/Facebook

“I was confident we would find a way to get them off the barge,” wildlife lieutenant Eric Anderson told The Dodo. “My mind went into problem-solving mode to navigate around the unique challenge.”

The unusual rescue involved coaxing the baby deer into a more strategic location on the barge, then lifting them up and out of the vessel. Team members made sure the animals were unharmed before returning them to the wild. There, Mom was waiting to welcome them home!

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency/Facebook