ירמיהו, פרק י״ד, פסוק ה׳

The sheer severity of the drought and famine shatters the most basic natural instincts in the animal kingdom. Extreme starvation forces even the most devoted mothers to abandon their newborn offspring immediately after birth simply to survive. A female deer, having just given birth to her fawns, is forced to leave them behind and wander to another land in a desperate search for pasture.

The intensity of this tragedy is especially profound given the natural character of the doe. She is known as a deeply gentle, compassionate, and loving creature, fiercely devoted to her young [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, חומת אנך]. Yet, despite her powerful maternal instincts, the absolute lack of alternatives and the immediate danger of starvation overpower her natural mercy. She abandons her fawns solely to keep herself alive [רד״ק].

This heartbreaking abandonment is driven by the total disappearance of greenery. The ground has lost its basic, general covering of vegetation, leaving the earth completely bare, desolate, and entirely empty of food [מלבי״ם].