Fawn rescue from the air

Created: 05/16/2022, 10:48 am

Rescued!

The newborn fawn was lucky that the rescue team discovered it during their drone mission before the mowing.

© Photo: Goodbye

A volunteer team of drones is deployed in Hebertshausen to save fawns from a cruel mowing death.

With a thermal imaging camera, the rescue team scans fields to bring the baby animals to safety.

To do that, you have to get up early.

But the effort shows: It's worth it.

BY NELE BEHRENS

Hebertshausen

– It's five o'clock in the morning, the fog is still thick on the fields, the meadow is still damp.

Despite the early hour, eight volunteers are ready to look for fawns in a meadow near Ampermoching.

Their fatigue is secondary, they are motivated, they want to save lives.

Four pilots and four helpers start flying down the meadow.

Thermal camera

The rescue team of pilots and helpers uses a thermal imaging camera to search the fields before mowing so that the baby animals can be brought to safety.

Mowing season is a dangerous time for young fawns as farm machinery can maim and kill wildlife.

The most favorable period of spring mowing falls exactly in the rearing of young deer.

“Until fawns are about two weeks old, they lie in the tall grass.

Meanwhile, the mother keeps leaving them alone so as not to attract the attention of predators," explains Peter Lederer, pilot and organizer of the Hebertshausen drone team.

Even when danger threatens, newborn fawns do not flee, but duck away.

“Young animals can hardly be seen in dense meadows.

Even if you stand directly in front of it, you don't see it," says Lederer.

Therefore, without technical aids, they are easily overlooked.

Then comes the moment that made getting up early worthwhile.

Any residual tiredness on the part of the helpers is gone immediately: the drone team finds a newborn deer, the helpers rescue it from the danger zone.

"I could cry with joy," says volunteer Angelika Steuer - and has tears in her eyes.

"It's so nice, we were able to save this little creature's life."

It is one of the rescue squad's first missions.

The drone is controlled early in the morning at a height of around 35 to 45 meters in stripes over the field to be mowed, either automatically programmed or manually.

At this time, the warm bodies of the animals on the cool ground are best visible with the thermal imaging camera.

rubber gloves

When searching, there is a 25 percent overlap of the trajectories so that nothing is left out, reveals assistant Katharina Wehner.

Heat sources are indicated with a red dot on the screen.

"As soon as a warm spot can be seen on the camera, the drone pilot descends to ten meters and checks whether it is actually a young deer or another wild animal," says Lederer.

Then the pilots navigate the game rescuers to the fawn with the help of radios and the drone in order to be able to fetch it from the meadow.

The wildlife rescuers wear rubber gloves that they rub with grass and use a laundry basket lined with tufts of grass for transport.

This is important so that the fawn does not smell like humans and is rejected by the mother.

With the so-called heart grip, you lift the fawn carefully in the area of ​​the shoulders: "As the name suggests, your hands form a heart," explains helper Manuela Schrödl.

Too few helpers

The helpers had previously practiced the procedure in a briefing with a plastic deer and a hot-water bottle.

The animal rights activists place the fawn on a bed of grass, which usually remains completely motionless during the rescue.

Then the basket is put over the animal and fixed with pegs.

Only after mowing, when the danger is over, does the farmer release the young.

The rescue equipment costs 6,000 euros and was donated by the municipality of Hebertshausen.

The drone team is still looking for helpers.

Originally, 24 volunteers signed up, but the initial euphoria quickly subsided.

According to Schrödl, only about six game rescuers are currently active.

Many would have underestimated getting up early.

It often starts between four and five in the morning.

However, according to helper Angelika Steuer, getting up for the sunrise is not only worthwhile, but above all for the life of the fawns.

The drone team

The Hebertshausen drone team is available for questions: You can get more information on 01 70/ 5 35 30 14.

The drone team is also looking for volunteers.

Farmers can also call the phone number to take advantage of the help.

In safety - the volunteers Angelika Steuer (left) and Manuela Schrödl lift the fawn into the basket.

© Photo: Goodbye

Irreplaceable help for the kitz rescuers: the drone with thermal imaging camera.

© Photo farewell