The sight of a fawn is often enough to melt the coldest of hearts, and an apparently abandoned baby deer can drive the most fervent omnivore to consider vegetarianism. That appears to be the very problem facing many Bay Area fawns, as CBS 5 reports that wildlife officials are receiving an unusually high number of calls and reports of seemingly abandoned little Bambis. What's more, aspiring do-gooders are snatching up the animals and bringing them in for foster care. There's just one, rather large problem: The fawns are not abandoned, and these "kidnappings" as WildCare Animal Rescue calls them, can have lasting negative impacts on the health of mother and child.

“Most people don’t know that mom leaves them for about 12 hours at a time,” Melanie Piazza, the Director of Wildcare Animal Rescue in Marin County, told CBS. “She’ll leave them in the morning after feeding and come back at night. So most people who find them sitting in the grass think they have been orphaned, when they are actually not.”

Apparently this is actually healthy behavior on the part of mom, with WildCare noting that she essentially hides the fawn during the day.

"Mother deer know that their presence near their babies alerts predators to the fawns’ existence, which puts them at risk," the organization explains on a page titled "Was This Fawn Kidnapped?" "In order to keep her young safe, a doe will leave her fawn in a secluded area, often for as long as 12 hours, distracting predators away from her baby while she forages for food. Fawns’ camouflage and their ability to stay still keep them safe from predators while their mother is away."

According to WildCare, last year upwards of 20 percent of fawns brought in had been mistakenly kidnapped. It's a trend that, unfortunately, doesn't look to be on the decline. "It’s about double what we received last year at this time, which make us wonder why," Marin Humane Society CEO Nancy McKenney told CBS of calls her organization has received regarding seemingly abandoned deer. "But there might be more fawns out there or more concerned people calling us more often, right?"

If you want to know whether or not an animal needs help, WildCare suggests remembering "The Five Cs."

1. Is he Crying?
2. Is he Cold?
3. Is he Coming toward you (approaching people)?
4. Is he Covered with blood or insects?
5. Has he been Caught by a cat or a dog?

If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, it is at that time that you should unleash your inner good Samaritan and call WildCare’s 24-hour Emergency Hotline at 415-456-7283. Otherwise, let that baby deer be.

Related: The SF Zoo's New Baby Giraffe Is Sweet Balm For Your Aching Heart

For your daily dose of cute, look no further than the Oakland Zoo — which just this morning released new video of the six, six-week-old otter pups now in the zoo's care. Bay City News reports that the young river otters are now on display, with their two moms (they're from two separate litters) just in time for Mother's Day.

There are now nine river otters at the zoo, and the two new moms — named Rose and Ginger by zoo officials — are mother and daughter themselves. Rose is four years old, and give birth to Eno, Sikwa (both boys), and Kai (a girl). Ginger is nine, and gave birth to Ashkii, Sudali (both girls), and Victor (a boy).

According to ABC 7, one male otter — named Wyatt, and from a Texas zoo — sired all the pups.

"North American river otters are in high demand in zoos and Oakland Zoo’s breeding success means that these charismatic little guys will eventually get to charm even more children in other zoos across the country,” explained Oakland Zoo zoological manager Margaret Rousser in a statement reported by CBS 5.

According to the Oakland Zoo, river otters are a voracious bunch, eating "fish, crayfish, frogs, turtles, and aquatic invertebrates, plus an occasional bird, rodent or rabbit."

"The otter pups start their life in a burrow in a river bank, usually an abandoned muskrat den," Zoo officials explain. "Born blind and helpless, they are nursed by the female for a month. Venturing out of the den, they rough-house and play in the shallow water, where their mother teaches them to swim and hunt." The video below shows some of that very rough-housing.

Related: Oakland Zoo Trying To Get Adorable, Rare Blue-Eyed Lemurs To Mate

Breaking away from the Bay Area, let's talk about Hawaii, yes? Specifically: A ghostly, possibly new species of octopus was recently discovered near our fiftieth state, found around 2.5 miles deep in the briny ocean off of Necker Island. It was uncovered by Deep Discoverer, an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) on February 27.

The little octopod looks adorable or utterly terrifying, depending on your view, but more on that later. First, let's read what Michael Vecchione, of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, had to say about the discovery:

"As the ROV was traversing a flat area of rock interspersed with sediment at 4,290 meters, it came across a remarkable little octopod sitting on a flat rock dusted with a light coat of sediment. The appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod."

Why, just look at this thing in action:

Vecchione goes on to note that, in addition to its depth, its appearance stood out too. He says:

"A distinctive characteristic was that the suckers were in one, rather than two, series on each arm. This animal was particularly unusual because it lacked the pigment cells, called chromatophores, typical of most cephalopods, and it did not seem very muscular. This resulted in a ghostlike appearance, leading to a comment on social media that it should be called Casper, like the friendly cartoon ghost. It is almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus."

Sounds delicious. But looks scary. Don't know about you, but octopi seem downright terrifying, these ink-blasting tarantulas of the sea. SFist's Eve Batey disagrees, saying, "It looks adorable!" Different strokes.

Some other animals that are considered cute, but should be feared:

• Hippopotamuses
• Monkeys
• Tigers
• Elephants
• Bears
• Swans
• Ferrets
• Ferret owners

Meet Dern. She's a rare blue-eyed lemur who recently arrived at the Oakland Zoo from Waco, Texas, and she joins Oakland's other blue-eyed lemur resident, Anthony. The zoo is hoping the two are going to hit it off and mate, and maybe, just maybe, give birth to baby lemurs next year.

These lemurs typically get pregnant in the winter, so there's time still. But so far, Anthony and Dern "got along right away," as zookeepers tell CBS 5. Apparently the real challenge is going to be for these blue-eyed cuties integrating with the gang of ring-tailed lemurs with whom they'll be sharing a home. That hasn't happened yet.

Blue-eyed lemurs, which are native to Madagascar, are one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, with only about 1,000 believed to be left in the wild. Currently there are 28 living in captivity in the U.S., including Anthony and Dern.

[CBS 5]

In honor of Easter, TaskRabbit is offering a half hour of bunny time with a real rabbit. One rabbit visit for a maximum of 30 minutes will run you $15. This is a far better option than, say, gifting your offspring with one come Sunday.

See, people tend to lose interest in their pet rabbits after Easter ends. (Remember: pets are family members, not home decor!) Caring for these little fellas can cost between $3,000 and $4,000 over its lifetime, not to mention the bill for spaying/neutering, litter box, food, et al. Renting one for a few precious, adorable minutes is much more humane. Less stressful for you, too!

Rabbit time starts today, going from 10am to 3pm. Proceeds will be donated to the San Francisco SPCA.

It's April, which means it's time for our annual "aww look at these baby falcon chicks" report. And here it is, because today four baby falcons have hatched in their nest/box on top of San Jose's 18-story City Hall.

This brings the total number of wild peregrine falcon chicks (known as "eyasses") to be born in that nest up to 29, SJ Mayor Chuck Reed's spokesperson Michelle McGurk said.

San Jose falcon Clara and her mate, Fernando El Cohete, have nested and raised families atop City Hall since 2012, McGurk said. In March, Clara lay four more eggs, and yesterday, two hatched.

"Clara and Fernando exchange a few cacks, then Clara leaves. Fernando brings in some leftovers and gently gives his two newborn babies their first food," the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group reported following the birth.

At 6:35 this morning, two more had hatched:

And a couple hours later the fourth eya had emerged:

By 8:42 AM all four were ready for breakfast, which mom served up. "Two are still a little damp, but they sit up and hold their beaks open to be fed," the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group said.

Before these eyasses are old enough to fly, Glenn Stewart, the director of the Predatory Bird Group, will place a band on each of their legs, so they can be identified after they leave the nest, McGurk said. "They kind of go out and bird watchers in the Bay Area can keep track of them from their bands," she said.

Though peregrine falcons have been considered an endangered species in California since the 1970s, the future looks good for these little chicks. McGurk says that most of the chicks born at City Hall have survived past the fledgling stage, and have been seen in places like Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Because you can't live with your parents forever!

Until then, you can follow these kids' adventures with the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Group's livecam. If that's down (which it sometimes is), never fear: their YouTube channel is updated on the regular.

We thought this video of the SF Zoo's baby giraffe running around was pretty cute, but that was before we saw these photos of her playing with a zebra.

On Wednesday, the SF Zoo posted the above and below photos, by Sandi Wong, of their now seven week old reticulated giraffe calf frolicking with one of the Zoo's zebras. And with that, our hearts all grew three sizes today.

You can see the baby giraffe (and her friends and family) at the Zoo's Osher Family Giraffe Lodge. Pro tip: giraffe feeding is at 4:30 most days, so stop by then to watch them chow down.

Presented without comment.

Also presented without comment.

Canine preciousness abounded at this weekend's annual Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show at Cow Palace. The only thing missing was Parker Posey hysterically searching for a bumble bee chew toy.

Erik Wilson snapped some scenes of the backstage action. We've also got the winners. Best in Show went to a pooch named Take Aim's Playing for Gryffindor. Why not.

Enjoy. Arf.

[UPDATE: SFist interviews KitTea co-founder Courtney Hatt.]

This isn't a joke. You're not dreaming. It's real, and it's mew-tacular. A tea cafe featuring a bevy of therapeutic, adorable cats is set to open in San Francisco this year. Christened KitTea, founders Courtney Hatt and David Braginsky describe their venture as "part 'gourmet tea house' and part 'cat and human oasis.'"

The goal is to provide homeless cats a place to call home. Also, to bring humans and cats together in perfect harmony. According to the website, the cafe plans on opening this Spring. What's important to note is that, as of now, it's all in the preliminary planning stages. Permits and the like are still very much pending. But here's how it would work:

Patrons will partake of all the enjoyment and therapy that cats provide, while enjoying healthy blends of exotic teas that are ecologically sourced from around the world. Our cats will enjoy a high-quality, elegant home constructed expressly for their pleasure.

Here's how the (brilliant) idea came to fruition:

[...] Courtney, immersed in the stressful world of tech and startups, was working in a bustling cafe one day. She stumbled upon an article about a cafe for cats in Japan. City dwellers in Japan retire to the cafe after their long, demanding jobs and take refuge in the cafe, which looks and feels like a welcoming living room, but with several resident cats roaming free.

[...]

As Courtney looked around the cafe, she became overwhelmed with its buzzing and frenetic energy. Though everyone was sitting in close quarters, there were no spontaneous interactions with others and it lacked comfort, relaxation and socialization.

That's when it hit her that a cat cafe would be a natural addition to the eclectic culture of San Francisco. That is where Asana Software Engineer David Braginsky came into the picture. He shared the same vision of a space where people could relax with a cup of tea and interact with cats and other cat enthusiasts. The two are now making this dream a reality and looking forward to opening KitTea's doors to the San Francisco community in 2014. ​

Following the guidelines and standards of care from the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, no more than 10 cats will be in the cafe at one time. Felines will be adopted from local rescue shelters. When tired of the humans patrons at the cafe, the felines would be able to go to a "cats-only" room or, better yet, saunter over to an entire wall for climbing or an entire wall for scratching.

As for the space itself, no location has been determined so far. "We are still in the process of scouting and negotiating potential spaces in desirable neighborhoods," says KitTea. "We are hoping to lease a minimum of 1,600 square feet, this would allow 30-35 people in the cat space at a time, the space will never be crowded, or chaotic."

This could very well be the best thing to happen to San Francisco since sourdough bread, that bridge, and gay people. We'll update as soon as we know more.

And now, a slew of videos featuring cats drinking tea:

[via Laughing Squid, @CzarVolberding]

This morning at the San Francisco Zoo, Kabibe the baby gorilla made her public debut. As someone who has no regard for material possessions and the politics of normal humans, she is (for the moment at least) the princess of San Francisco.

Her name, by the way, means "Little Lady" in Swahili.

Previously: All adorable things coverage on SFist.

The way things ought to be : a chicken in every pot and a dog in every jacket. Photo by Erik Wilson.

After every tiny temblor and Loma Prieta anniversary, San Franciscans (and their mothers on more stable ground) like to take a moment to double-check the batteries and space blankets in their earthquake kits. But what about Fido? What's he going to do when the Big One hits? Thankfully, a Japanese company has your pooch covered with this fireproof, shockproof flak jacket for dogs.

Apparently designed for rescue dogs working in post-disaster hellscapes, the jacket is designed to withstand everything from flames to freezing temperatures to falling debris and sparks. It straps to your pooch with elastic and velcro, has a special flap so you can keep your canine pal on a leash, and even thoughtfully folds up to the size of your standard tote bag.

The suit costs a cool $200, assuming you can get a Japanese-speaking friend to navigate Retriever.org's website to order it (or simply use your browser's nifty translate feature), but you really can't put a price on your best friend, can you?

[Retriever.org]
[H/T: Gizmodo]

Surrender now. It's no use. Bun Bun will own you within seconds. This is the epitome of cute overload. This is why god made animals. This is why the internet exists. You are welcome. Peace and palate cleansing be with you through all your days.

[via Jezebel]