Orphaned Fawn Named Forest Will Live at Deltona Sanctuary After Imprinting on Humans During Rehab
“We’re going to try to make it as natural as possible for him. He’s going to live his life out here."
A white-tailed deer named Forest, orphaned and seriously injured as a fawn, will spend the rest of his life at a Deltona sanctuary after rehabilitation left him too accustomed to humans to survive in the wild.
Forest is set to move to 101 Paws and Claws, a nonprofit sanctuary in Volusia County, once staff finish building a new enclosure designed specifically for him. The organization is racing to complete the habitat — and raise the money to pay for it — on a tight timeline.
Why Forest can’t go back to the wild
Forest was orphaned as a fawn and suffered multiple injuries, including a broken leg. During his recovery, he was bottle-fed and cared for closely by humans. That hands-on care saved his life, but it came with a permanent consequence: he imprinted on people.
According to Meagan Farley, CEO of 101 Paws and Claws, that imprinting means Forest now associates humans with food and safety. For a wild deer, that’s a dangerous combination. A deer that approaches people instead of fleeing is vulnerable to vehicles, hunters and other threats it would normally avoid.
Releasing him is no longer an option. Instead, the sanctuary is preparing to give him a permanent home.
“We’re going to try to make it as natural as possible for him. He’s going to live his life out here,” Farley told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
A fast turnaround for the sanctuary
The path to Forest’s new home began when an animal rehabber in Volusia County reached out to Farley about taking him in. The request came quickly, and the sanctuary had to move fast to be ready for his arrival.
“It was kind of a rush thing, so we have a month to pull this all together,” Farley told The Daytona Beach News-Journal on April 17.
That compressed window is shaping every decision the nonprofit makes — from construction priorities to fundraising. Staff and volunteers are working to design a space that meets Forest’s needs as a deer that can no longer roam freely but still deserves a habitat that feels close to natural.
What Forest’s new home will look like
The planned enclosure includes fencing and a barn, along with a wooded area where Forest can choose to hide or stay out of sight when he wants privacy. The design reflects a key principle of the sanctuary’s approach: giving animals control over their own interactions.
Visitors will not be brought into Forest’s enclosure. Instead, he’ll have the option — but never the obligation — to come close to the fence line during tours.
“It’s entirely up to him whether he wants to come out and interact with people on the tour. We won’t bring people into the enclosure,” Farley said.
The sanctuary also offers private tours as part of its fundraising efforts to support animal care. For Forest, that means his daily life can stay as quiet or as social as he chooses.
Fundraising falls short of goal
Building Forest’s new home isn’t cheap, and the sanctuary is still well short of what it needs.
The fencing alone is the largest expense, estimated at about $5,600. As of April 17, the nonprofit had raised approximately $500 — a small fraction of the total needed to complete the project on schedule.
The gap between funds raised and funds needed underscores how dependent small sanctuaries are on community support. Every dollar contributed goes toward the materials, labor and ongoing care that allow animals like Forest to live out their lives safely.
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