Instagram Famous: Baby Deer with One Leg Found and Adored by All

By: Lauren Wurth | Last updated: Sep 25, 2023

If you’ve always assumed that Rudolph was the most famous reindeer of all, prepare to be surprised. Wait until you learn about Rudie, a three-legged deer that has taken the internet by storm.

Rudie was an abandoned Australian deer found by tender-hearted strangers a few days after his birth. Unfortunately, one of baby Rudie’s legs was unexplainably missing. You’ll be surprised and inspired upon reading Rudie’s story to the tail-end.

The Chance Encounter

No one can tell how baby Rudie turned out to be in such a dire situation. Did his pack abandon him, or did he have a near-death encounter with a predator?

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

It’s difficult enough to help out a stray animal and even a greater burden when the creature is injured. The average person may have walked away, but Rudie’s rescuers took him to a veterinarian to have his bleeding leg attended to.

Advertisement

A Second Chance at Life

If Rudie had been caught in a trap, his rescuer could have been kind enough to set it free and watch it scamper into the wild. However, in this situation, the creature would likely die if left unaided.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

While knowing what to do in situations involving wild animals can be tough, the strangers’ resolve to help out baby Rudie that day eventually paid off.

Kind-Hearted Strangers

The strangers did not know how long the young animal had been in that situation. Yes, they could tell it was a tender baby but had no way of knowing how long he had been in that condition.

Advertisement

Source: Irudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Although they did know that the young deer was in pain, they could not tell if medical intervention would be timely enough to save the animal’s life. All the same, they took him to a clinic and prayed that the effort would save baby Rudie’s life.

Salvaging a Fatally Dangling Leg

At the animal clinic, the doctor had to stabilize the young deer. Afterward, he proceeded to assess his condition.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

The doctor recommended that he remove the remaining portion of the faulty limb. Unfortunately, the damage to the limb could not be helped, and the remaining portion had to be amputated. So, the young deer started his life journey with three legs.

Baby Rudie Goes to the ER

The rescuers of the young deer were disappointed that the animal would have to live with a missing limb, but it was a choice between living and keeping the damaged limb.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

So, they gave consent that the doctor proceeds with the surgery. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, as the animal pulled through. Now, the next dilemma was caring for a young three-legged deer.

Advertisement

In Search of a New Home

Right after the surgery, the question of the next move for the young deer arose. The creature needed a caregiver; it obviously didn’t have a family, as it was found abandoned.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Also, releasing the young chap back into the wild would have been ill-advised. The odds of a three-legged baby deer thriving alone in the wild are slim.

Advertisement

Special Care for Special Rudie

Due to the medical condition of the still-recovering deer, the clinic could not put him up to be adopted by just anyone. Even if they did, there’s likely to be many reservations about caring for a special-needs animal.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Luckily, one of the veterinarians who participated in the surgery decided to wade in. The vet knew just the kind of parental care needed by an amputee deer.

Advertisement

Homecoming

An average reindeer was designed to live and thrive in the wild. It was probably a difficult transition for Rudie, having to live in a human abode instead of grazing in the wild.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

However, the veterinary staff was well-equipped and on top of the situation. While she could not provide similar conditions as are available in the wild, Rudie’s caregiver was able to help him adapt to his new home.

Advertisement

Putting In the Effort

Interestingly, Rudie made things easy for his caregiver. While it took some heavy sacrifice of effort and time, Rudie quickly got used to his new environment.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Anyone who saw the disadvantaged deer during those early years would easily see Rudie’s grit for life. Soon enough, the young deer started learning how to do things independently.

Advertisement

Learning to Walk on Three Legs

While nature created Rudie to subsist with four limbs, life’s hazards have relegated him to make do with three. Fortunately, the deer had the accident at a very tender age, so adapting and working around the disadvantage was easier.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Soon enough, Rudie had a mastery of his three limbs and was strutting around the yard like any average deer would. With a regular diet and enough outside time, Rudie rapidly grew into a fit young adult.

Advertisement

Finding New Friends

The average animal naturally tends to prefer the company of its kind, but some factors may warrant unlikely friendships. For example, there have been documented reports of a duck befriending a dog and a cat bonding with chicks.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Something similar happened to Rudie. Since he had no deers to interact with at his new home, he began horsing around wit the veterinarian’s dogs.

Advertisement

A Peaceful Demeanor Makes for Enjoyable Relationships

We could learn something from Rudie about being at peace with entities in one’s environment. Even though dogs can sometimes be territorial, Rudie fit snugly with the animal companions at his new home.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Rudie’s sweetness and tenderness are probably the attributes responsible for the dogs accepting him into their pack.

Advertisement

Possession of Animals and Stipulations of the Law

After having cared for Rudie for so long, the veterinarian decided to adopt the deer and make him an official member of her family. Of course, she didn’t want any issues with the authorities, so she did her due diligence.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

After the adoption papers got approved, the vet created an Instagram page for Rudie. Consequently, the journaling of the deer’s growth process began.

Advertisement

Dispensing Doses of Tenderness

Scientists have established, through research, that activities that trigger mindfulness are likely to reduce stressors in humans. For example, gardening, taking a walk in nature, nurturing, or just petting animals have been discovered to have such an effect.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

So, when Rudie’s adopted mom noticed how tender-hearted he was, she started taking him to local nursing homes. There, senior citizens get to stroke, pet, and spend time with him.

Advertisement

The Making of a Gram Star

Meanwhile, Rudie soon became an internet sensation after his Instagram page started getting attention from animal lovers worldwide. That’s the power of an inspirational story. With close to 20,000 followers, Rudie’s page is touching lives across the world.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

It may be surprising that a three-legged deer would inspire such loving emotions in people’s hearts. However, if you’re in doubt, read through some of the comments on Rudie’s page.

Advertisement

Who Wouldn’t Love An Affectionate Animal?

Imagine having a pet that can intuitively tell when you’re happy, sad, or busy. It would be even better if such a creature could cheer you up during downtimes or curl up in the corner when it notices you have an important virtual meeting to attend.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

While this may seem like a portrayal of what a perfect pet would be, it would be safe to say Rudie comes close to that description.

Advertisement

Rudie the Clown

Have you ever seen a pet that trips you up and gets you rolling on the floor with laughter with their funny acts and attitude? Well, that’s one of Rudie’s many attributes, as he can pull some surprisingly funny stunts when around his mom.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Interestingly, Rudie has gotten quite photogenic over the years. It’s safe to say that Rudie has become a full-blown Instagram model.

Advertisement

Ready For His Santa Interview

Each Christmas, Rudie’s mom would dress him up with antlers in the spirit of the season. After six years of care and nurturing, he would easily pass as a strong adult deer.

Advertisement

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

And it was always Rudie’s pleasure to get dressed up in such a manner; it makes him all the more playful. He has such an amenable personality that people light up when they meet him.

Advertisement

Making Nurture Worth the While

Rudie probably got influenced by the tender-heartedness of his adopted mom. It seems like Rudie’s adoptive mom was as lucky to have found him as Rudie was to have been taken in by her.

Source: rudiethereindeer/ Instagram

Rudie’s story is a testament to the importance of living your life with kindness and compassion. So, the next time you come across someone who could use a helping hand, remember what happened when a kind stranger found Rudie alone and hurt in the woods. 

Advertisement