KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Caring for animals of all kinds can get expensive, especially when the facility is the only one caring for orphaned fawns in East and Middle Tennessee.
Yet, the Little Ponderosa Zoo still takes in young deer, with 40 fawns already at the zoo. They said that the task is a labor of love — a costly one. Fawn milk alone can cost around $10,000 per season before also considering the costs of paying employees, supplies, vet visits and medications.
So, the zoo announced it will host a fundraiser to help pay the expenses of caring for deer. It's called "Beers for Deers" and will kick off on July 17 at Barrelhouse by Gypsy Circus, in North Knoxville. It is Tennessee's first craft cidery.
Little Ponderosa Zoo said they were partnering with Barrelhouse to raise money so that the fawns can be rehabilitated and released back into the East Tennessee mountains.
They said $1 per cider sold will go to the zoo to help them cover expenses.
"Without our facility, these injured and orphaned fawns would have nowhere to go," officials with the zoo said.
