Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne
Victim of the mower
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
The latest animal emergency reached us from Carinthia. An animal-loving lady rescued three fawns, two of which had been caught by the legs of a mowing machine. She took the fawns into her care and regularly took them to the vet so as not to make a mistake when treating the wounds. She raised the three with a bottle and now it was time for a forever home that would give the young deer the security they needed because of their severed legs.
Rearing fawns with human hands
In case of Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne the doe (mother) could not be found. The replacement mother became the human mum, which shefirsthourly, then twice–hourlyand so on. with the milk bottle.
When dealing with wild animals, the basic rule is never to pick up young animals with your bare hands and carry them away, knock them down, etc. Once the human scent is on the animal, the mother will turn away. Perhaps the doe was able to observe the mishap with the young from a distance? We will probably never know. The doe leavesher fawn lying in the grass and protects it from a distance from possible enemies by means of a loud cheeping noise. This is how the fawn and its mother communicate with each other.
Fawns that are found in tall grass and need to be brought to safety from the mower can be rescued as follows: Put on gloves, tear off the grass and “pack” the fawn and carry it to a safe place.
In case of Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne the catastrophe had already happened. Without a human mum, the injured deer would not have survived.
Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne no longer need a milk bottle, but a new forever home
Gut Aiderbichl is also committed to the protection of native wild animals. For example, we have been cooperating with the Salzburg Squirrel Aid and our Henndorf meeting centre for several years. The aim is to release healthy squirrels back into the wild.
Our foxes living in Henndorf were foundlings. They now spend their lives here in safety and with all the necessary care that a fox deserves. Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne will be able to live in part of the deer enclosure in the future.
Meal plan for Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne
Our animal keepers have years of experience with wild animals and know what the diet should look like. Under no circumstances should apples be fed. The digestive tract of deer has a highly specialised stomach and would not tolerate such food. Roe deer and red deer feed on plant matter. Bread and leftovers would have fatal consequences for the health of wild animals.
Inspection of the fields using a thermal imaging drone
The Aiderbichler Meadows are flown over with a drone with thermal imaging camerabefore mowing, to locate and rescue any fawns lying in the tall grass. A fawn would not be visible to the naked eye.
Don’t forget the gloves and the torn grass as protective padding during the rescue. The doe will observe everything and will take care of her fawn again after being rescuedby the human.
Now we have to wait and see ...
Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne will not have their mum in the enclosure, However, the three Rehe will certainly be accompanied by two dark brownn eyes to beguarded: our Hermes, a white dam deer, will keep a protective eye on his new flatmates from afar.
Watching intently, Hermes watched as the goose gatewas opened and the deer were brought in. The three were greeted with leaps of joy. After a period of observation, the fence separating Hermes from the deer will probably be removed.
The deer survived a terrible accident, but I think they will do as all animals do: Be thankful that they are alive, and that they can live in a safe enclosure. Humans should be freed fromsuffering, dthatis inflicted on the animalsby the mowing machinelearn the following: once more looking is better than looking away.
Sincerely, Your Gisela
The trick is to get up once more than you are knocked down.
~ Oliver Goldsmith
