Rescue Worker Giving Deer Sensory Enrichment Has People So Delighted
When they're in the wild, deer explore their surroundings to find food, water, and shelter. This exploration allows them to encounter new scents, textures, and sights, contributing to sensory enrichment. Deers in wildlife rehab centers don't have the same opportunities.
That's why the video posted by TikTok user @Yellowriverwildlife is so wonderful, because they show how they provide rescue deer with the same stimulation they'd get in the wild.
View the original article to see embedded media.
Marvin is loving it! He looks so blissed out getting his scratches. Marvin is a muntjac which is a small deer native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Why is Marvin so stinky? Well, according to Wikipedia, Muntjacs possess various scent glands that have crucial functions in communication and territorial marking. They use their facial glands primarily to mark the ground and occasionally other individuals, and the glands are opened during defecation and urination, as well as sometimes during social displays.
He's just a musky baby!
@Honeyvine comments, "Aww, what a good stink baby." @Megan adds, "You took all his stink away!" LOL. @Ceo says, "Marvin gets enrichment, and he gives enrichment. it ain't much but it's honest work." You can sign us up to sensory enrich deer any day!
Deer use their musky scent to communicate with each other. They rub their scent glands on trees and bushes to establish territory and to let other deer know they are around. If Marvin were in the wild, like a regular deer, that's exactly what he would be doing. So not only is Marvin getting less stinky, but he's also getting a good scratching, and what enrichment could be better than that for a deer!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
