Animals Fawn rescue saves more than 5000 fawns from death by mower in 2024
According to the Swiss fawn rescue association, it saved more than 5,000 fawns in the 2024 season.
Image: Keystone
Volunteers track down fawns in the meadows and save them from being killed by mowers. They work together with farmers and hunters.
Image: Keystone
According to the Swiss fawn rescue association, it saved more than 5,000 fawns in the 2024 season.
Image: Keystone
Volunteers track down fawns in the meadows and save them from being killed by mowers. They work together with farmers and hunters.
Image: Keystone
More than 5000 fawns have been rescued in Switzerland this season. This is reported by the non-profit organization Rehkitzrettung.
02.08.2024, 00:54
SDA
According to the association, 5195 fawns have been rescued in Switzerland this season. The slight decrease is a consequence of the difficult weather conditions this year, reports the association. The normal birth season for fawns is between the end of April and the beginning of June.
This year, due to the warm, sunny weather at the beginning of April, farmers were already mowing before the fawns were born. Due to the wet weather that followed, many roe deer had also set their fawns in the forest and not in the wet meadows.
The roe deer hide their fawns from predators in the tall grass. The young animals have a ducking instinct at this stage of their lives. What offers them protection also puts their lives in danger.
Farmers have to mow their meadows at the same time, which leads to an average of 1500 fawns being killed by agricultural machinery each year. However, experts believe that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher. According to Rehkitzrettung.ch, it is estimated that several thousand fawns are killed.
The volunteers from Rehkitzrettung Schweiz fly over meadows to be mowed with their drones and thermal imaging cameras in order to find and rescue as many fawns as possible. The association works closely with hunters and farmers. Every year, the association trains new rescue teams to track down fawns across the country.
