Animals can often get themselves into some delicate situations at times and unlike humans, they don’t always have the ability to help themselves out. That’s why when a Good Samaritan happens upon an animal and offers their help it is always so touching. You’ll be blown away by this man’s dedication to one helpless animal that he discovered on the road.
20. Founder
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Simon Cowell, founder of Surrey-based charity Wildlife Aid, has been in contact with tons of different animal species both domesticated and not. He has rescued so many animals in so many situations and yet this one story still stands out in his mind…
19. Wounded Animal
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It was back in December 2015 when Cowell received a call from an unidentified driver. The driver had spotted an injured deer on the side of the road and called Wildlife Aid. Cowell responded immediately and drove off in his car, solo.
18. Finding the Deer
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When Cowell arrived at the scene he noticed two other cars stopped on the side of the road. The cars had stopped in front of and behind the deer in order to keep anyone else from hurting the deer any further.
17. Approaching
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Simon got out of the car and slowly approached the deer. He spoke to her in a soothing tone in order to help keep her calm. “All right darling,” Cowell cooed. “All right sweetheart. What’s the matter, hey?” He then knelt down to see what was wrong…
16. Hurt
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Upon a close-up of the deer, Cowell instantly realized that she had been the victim of a car hit. The deer was very terrified and there was a bad cut right above her eye. Simon knew that a vet would have to stitch the cut up.
15. Bloody Mess
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As the deer lifted up her head, she smeared her bloody nose onto Simon’s jeans. He knew that he would have to act fast in order to save the poor deer’s life. If he didn’t, there was no chance of survival…
14. Lift Up
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Then Simon decided to do the unthinkable! He quickly scooped the deer up in his arms and held her up like one would hold up a baby. Simon did this quickly as a deer typically wouldn’t allow itself to be handled in such a way.
13. Nervous Animals
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“Deer are very nervous and don’t cope well with being handled,” Simon explained, “All wild animals can suffer from capture myopathy.” Capture myopathy is a condition that causes an animal’s body to build up with lactic acid that tears away at the tissue. Simon knew he had to move quickly…
12. Rescue Facility
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Simon managed to get the deer all the way to the rescue facility where veterinarian Dr. Emma Lloret was available to quickly look after the deer. They placed a towel over the deer’s head so she wouldn’t be overly scared and the vet began to look her over. Immediately the vet knew if the deer would survive.
11. Good News
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The vet immediately had good news to share with the team. The deer’s skull was not broken and she was able to quickly stitch up the wounds and the blood. However, there was still one major issue that would still need to be addressed.
10. Return to Nature
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Although the deer was able to get better there was still the worry of whether she would be okay back in nature. Simon brought her back to the spot where he found her and hoped that she would be able to reunite with her family.
9. Hopeful
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“We just have to pray that she’ll stand for us,” Simon told his rescue worker companion. They brought the deer into the woods and set her down. “Listen to me,” Simon told the deer. “It’s all over.”
8. Waiting Around
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Simon couldn’t very well just abandon the deer in the woods without knowing that she would be okay. He decided to wait around and see how she would react in her natural settings. “If she puts her head back, this is a sign she’s giving up on life,” Simon explained.
7. Heartbroken
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In a terrible turn of events, the deer put her head back, indicating that she was giving up. However, Simon wasn’t going to let her off that easy. “Putting her head forward hopefully will refocus her effort to live,” Simon said in the video as he lifted up the deer.
6. Will To Live
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“I know you’re hurt, I know you’re bruised,” Simon said to the deer. “But you can do it.” The deer continued to struggle and stumble a bit, not quite getting the hang of being on her legs again. Finally, everything changed in the blink of an eye…
5. Standing Up
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Through all of his hard work and efforts, Simon finally saw the deer pushing on. She stood on all four legs and while it was a wobbly start it was a sign that she was willing to push through. Simon was blown away by the deer’s sudden change of heart.
4. Simon’s Words
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“It was heartbreaking watching her struggling to stay up,” Simon said. “This is the most worrying time for us because we never know if we’ve done the right thing or the wrong thing.”
3. More Attempts
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It took a few extra attempts to get the deer reacquainted with the woods. Then her ears perked up and she looked excited to be alive. “Go on sweetheart,” Simon encouraged the deer. “Go on. Go away.”
2. Watching
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Simon watched as the deer slowly made her way deeper into the woods. He felt heartbroken to watch her walk away from his care. “It wrecked me,” Simon said through tears. “You never know whether you’ve done the right thing or the wrong thing. It’s beautiful and horrible.”
1. Remember
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To this day, this remains one of the most memorable rescues for Simon. Simon has said that this profound moment with the deer truly stayed with him throughout the years.