AN abandoned newborn baby deer found by the roadside between Badgers Holt and Wheddon Cross is now doing well at an animal rescue charity.

Sweet Pea, as she was named, is being cared for day and night after a member of the public alerted Secret World Wildlife Rescue to her plight.

The red deer fawn was unable to walk and was crying for its mother.

The finder initially left her alone in the hope her mother would return, but called the animal care specialist charity for help, when that did not happen.

Marie Denston, animal carer at Secret World in East Huntspill, was the first to assess her on arrival.

She said: “The baby animal was unable to walk and still had its umbilical cord attached when it was found.

“Sweet Pea, as she’s been named, is now feeding well and being cared for by two animal carers day and night.

“She has been moved to the fawn unit where she is in the company of a young fallow and a juvenile roe deer.”

These young deer will remain at Secret World until the autumn, when they will be taken to a safe site to be released and monitored by the land owner.

The charity, which works every day of the year from 8am to 8pm, rescues or advises the public on over 5,000 animals and birds a year, including hundreds of wildlife orphans such as otters, badgers, foxes and birds of prey.

It hand-rears orphans and rehabilitates them, releasing them back into the wild when the charity is certain that they are ready, and will be able to fend for themselves.

Secret World Wildlife Rescue relies on access to multiple sites for successful releases, such as for Sweet Pea, and anyone who can offer a release site can email Jamie Kingscott, wildlife release manager on [email protected].