Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne

Mower victim

From the perspective of Gut Aiderbichl

(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, went regularly with them to the vet to make no mistake in the wound care. She raised the three with the bottle and now it was about a forever-home, which gives the young deer the security they need because of their severed legs.

Raising fawns with human hand

In the case of Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne the doe (dam) was not to be found. The substitute mother became the human mama, which she first hourly, then two-hourly etc. with the milk bottle.
When dealing with wild animals, the principle rule is never to pick up young animals with the bare hand and carry them away, put them down, etc.. Once the smell of man is on the animal, the mother turns away. The doe may have been able to observe the mishap with the young from a distance? One will probably never know. The doe leaves her fawn in the grass and protects it from a distance from possible enemies by means of a loud Fieplautes. This is how the fawn and its mother communicate with each other.
Fawns that are found in tall grass, and should be brought to safety from the mowing machine, can be rescued as follows: Put on gloves, Pull off grass and "pack" the fawn and carry it to a safe place.
In the case of Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne the catastrophe had already happened. Without human mom the injured deer would not have survived.

Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne don't need a milk bottle anymore, but a new forever home

Gut Aiderbichl's commitment also extends to the protection of local wildlife. For several years, for example, there has been a cooperation with the Salzburg Squirrel Aid and our Henndorf meeting place. The aim is to release healthy squirrels back into the wild.
Our foxes living in Henndorf were foundlings. They now spend a life here in safety and with all the care a fox needs. Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne will be able to inhabit a part of the deer enclosure in the future.

Menu for Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne

Our keepers have years of experience with wild animals, and know what the menu must be. Under no circumstances should apples be fed. The digestive tract of deer has a highly specialized stomach, and would not tolerate such food. Deer and also red deer feed on vegetable matter. Bread and leftovers would have fatal consequences for the health of the wild animals.

Inspection of the fields by means of thermal imaging drone

The Aiderbichler meadows are mowed with a drone prior to the with thermal imaging camera to locate and rescue any fawns lying in the tall grass. A fawn would not be visible to the naked eye.
When rescuing, by no means forget the gloves and the torn grass as a protective pad. The doe will observe everything, and after the rescue by the human being, the doe will to take care of her fawn.

Now we have to wait and see ...

Rehnate, Rehbekka and Rehne will not have their mothers in the enclosure, but the three the three Rehee will certainly be accompanied by two dark brownn eyes guarded: our Hermes, a white fallow deerwill watch from a distance his new roommates protectively in the eye have.
Attentively Hermes watched how the Enclosure gate was opened, and the deer were brought. With jumps of joy the three were welcomed. 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 get out of dem suffering, das the animals animals by the mowing machineThe following lesson can be learned: it is better to look once more than to look away.

Sincerely, Yours Gisela