The story of Bruno the stag
Compassion saves lives - not just at Christmas time
Bruno the stag is hard to spot among the dense, brown ferns. He lives on 2.6 hectares together with four other deer near Klagenfurt. However, what at first seems unsurprising in Carinthia became a problem in this case:
Free-roaming deer are a problem for road traffic
Bruno originally lived in an enclosure in Maiernigg (Carinthia). But in summer, he and five of his conspecifics escaped through a hole in the fence. This is dangerous, as free-roaming wild animals pose a considerable threat to road traffic. And there are also many dangers for the animals themselves, including free-roaming dogs. Two of the escaped deer have already had to be shot for these reasons.
The deer had no future
The fact that Bruno is still alive is this year’s Gut Aiderbichl Christmas miracle. He is living proof that compassion can save lives. This summer, Bruno made the acquaintance of several homeowners in the area. He was always on the lookout for food, and the residents were happy to share it with him. By the end of the summer, he was so tame that the residents could feed him from their hands – carrots were his favourite food.
He and three of his escaped conspecifics were returned to their enclosure in the autumn. They were finally home again. But then came the second shock: the enclosure was to be closed down. The deer had no future. After so much adversity, which the deer had survived, were they now going to be finished? Bruno’s human friends could not allow this to happen. That’s why Irina Lino, animal rights activist and editor of the Kronenzeitung newspaper, got involved. Klaus Riegler, the responsible hunting manager of the Klagenfurt-Viktring hunting organisation, was also committed to finding alternatives. Without so many protective hands, the fate of the deer would probably have been different.
It was not an easy task
It is still dark when the Gut Aiderbichl employees set off for Klagenfurt. They know: Catching the deer on the large grounds will be no easy task. The plan is to sedate the animals – the gentlest method of capturing them safely. The rescue mission leads through steep terrain and difficult terrain. A vet accompanies the team at all times. It took hours before all five deer could be sedated. Even the experienced animal rescue team reached their limits. When it was finally done and all the fallow deer were safely on their way to Gut Aiderbichl Carinthia, the relief was immense.
Compassion saves lives
“I’ve been an animal rights activist for as long as I can remember,” says Irina Lino. “Bruno has grown very close to my heart. The fact that he and the others are now allowed to live is a real Christmas miracle for me.” We can only agree with that: Compassion saves lives – not just at Christmas time.
