A seven-year-old girl and her father provided water to an exhausted roe deer in the countryside of Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, after finding the animal struggling in severe summer heat.
Footage of seven-and-a-half-year-old Izïa Lalane offering a bottle of water to the deer went viral after her father Marc Lalane posted it on Facebook last Thursday. By Wednesday, the video had accumulated more than 13 million views and over 500,000 likes, drawing national attention and coverage from French magazine Paris Match.
Nérac is a historical commune located in the Lot-et-Garonne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The surrounding countryside features agricultural fields and woodlands where wild cervids like European roe deer often seek refuge during periods of elevated temperatures.
The encounter took place around 1 p.m. last Thursday as Marc Lalane and his daughter were returning home from a hair appointment. Located roughly 100 meters from their residence, the young roe deer was spotted lying in a ditch with its eyes half closed and breathing heavily.
Lalane noted that agricultural tractors were operating in nearby fields at the time. He suggested that the young animal had likely been disturbed while seeking cool shade in a neighboring grove during a dry stretch that left little food or water available for local wildlife.
Roadside rescue in Lot-et-Garonne
Observing the creature in distress, Lalane pulled over his van, which contained several bottles of drinking water. He approached the deer slowly, noting that while it remained on all four legs, its expression indicated severe weakness.
Despite being a wild animal, the roe deer allowed Lalane to walk up to it without trying to flee. He began pouring water directly in front of its mouth, and the deer slowly drank until it started regaining its composure.
Seeing that the animal had settled, Lalane invited his daughter to join him. Izïa, who is accustomed to caring for animals at home, took over feeding the deer water while her father filmed the interaction from a short distance.
At their home in Nérac, the family keeps dogs, cats, and dwarf goats. Izïa has a strong passion for animals and nature, frequently building play huts outdoors and exploring the surrounding countryside with her father.
The pair are dedicated wildlife enthusiasts who regularly use trail cameras to observe local fauna around their property. On previous outings, father and daughter had even managed to spot a European genet, a small carnivore native to southwestern Europe.
Precautions for wild animals
Following the interaction, the father and daughter left a small bowl of water for the deer and stepped back about 20 meters to watch. The animal appeared content and remained calm in their presence.
Throughout the encounter, Lalane and Izïa refrained from touching the deer. Lalane explained that touching the wild animal could transfer human body scent to its fur, which risked causing other deer to reject it when returning to its herd.
Lalane stated that he decided to share the video to raise awareness about the impact of climate change and severe droughts on wild animals and local ecosystems. While he received a vast number of supportive messages from viewers across France, he noted that a small minority sent unkind comments.
Drought impact and monitoring
Before departing for a planned family vacation this week, Lalane and his daughter installed a large basin filled with water near the spot where they found the deer. They also attached a camera trap to a tree to monitor the location.
Izïa asks her father every day whether the camera has captured new footage showing that the deer is safe. Lalane added that given the persistent high temperatures in the region, their water station likely assisted multiple animals in the area.
