A fawn found in a storm drain in Singapore was reunited with its mom after rescuers enacted a two-day search for the local herd.

A volunteer rescue group in the area, Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre, examined and cared for the baby sambar deer to ensure it was healthy before releasing it back in its habitat, according to the Straits Times. The group’s chief executive, Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, noted that the baby animal was likely only a week old.

The effort was a shocking development for the wild sambar deer population in Singapore, as it was the first rescue of its kind for the species in the area. They are an elusive breed that mostly appears after dark, making them challenging to track in their natural habitat. The large deer are also prone to stress, so reuniting the fawn with its mother was a critical step to help it survive.

Sambar deer are a highly vulnerable species in the wild, with populations declining over 50% in the past 30 years across Southeast Asia, according to the World Land Trust. While the population levels for the sambar deer are stable in national parks and reserves, herds outside of these protected areas are rapidly declining.

Hazards like deforestation and hunting for their meat and antlers are the biggest risk factors for the species, said Restorasi Ekosistem Riau, an ecological conservation project in Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula. Sambar deer are also a vital prey for predators in Southeast Asia, like the endangered Bengal tiger. Their absence can have disastrous effects on the food chain and lead to human-wildlife conflict as predators seek alternative food sources.

In Singapore, the wild Sambar deer population was thought to be extinct in the 1950s, though the population has seen a small comeback due to several animals that escaped private zoos in the 1970s. As of 2021, there are an estimated 15 of these animals living in local forests, making the fawn’s rescue a particularly crucial save.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.