Record number of fawns saved by Swiss drone volunteers

6,500 deer saved from mowing thanks to drones, record year Keystone-SDA

Thousands of fawns were saved from the blades of mowers thanks to volunteers equipped with drones with thermal imaging cameras.

With a total of 6,451 animals rescued, a new record was set this year. According to figures released by the Roe Deer Rescue Association, a total of 722 teams helped to rescue small ungulates from the tall grass of agricultural fields, places considered a safe haven for these mammals.

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The drones flew over a total area of 62,693 hectares – equivalent to about 620 square kilometres – 20,304 hectares more than in 2024, when 5,159 roe deer were rescued. The particularly mild and sunny spring weather made drone overflights more efficient. At the same time, the warmer season led to more births in fields. In rainy years, does tend to avoid wet meadows and leave their young in the woods.

In the period from late spring to early summer, female roe deer normally give birth to one or two young, with their characteristic spotted brown coat. Very often the females leave the fawns hiding in the tall grass while they roam around in search of food. The instinct to remain crouched protects the fawns from predators, but poses a deadly danger when faced with agricultural machinery and mowers.

According to official figures, around 1,500 fawns are killed each year during the mowing of fields by farmers. However, the association estimates that the real number is higher. Roe Rescue works in cooperation with farmers and hunters.

Adapted from Italian by DeepL/ac

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