Sauvons Bambi

This year, around 350 fawns have been rescued before farmers started mowing their fields and meadows. That would not have been possible without the help of volunteers and the farmers themselves.[1]

The non-profit Sauvons Bambi has been active for years, with hunters also lending a hand to bring fawns to safety from agricultural machinery. When animals are caught in such equipment, they die in a particularly grim way. Often they do not die on the spot but lie there for hours afterwards, suffering serious injuries. Preventing that is not just in the animal's interest but also in the farmer's: if carcasses go undetected and end up in the harvested feed, toxic gases can be produced, which can then make the farmer's livestock ill.[1]

The Bambimap.lu application is designed to connect farmers and rescue teams. Every plot in Luxembourg is identified by a code. When a farmer gives notice before mowing, the information is entered into the system, and any drone pilot can log into the app, see what missions are open, and sign up. It is drones that help spot small animals in the tall grass.[1]

The new technical options are aimed above all at farmers and hunters, though anyone can get in touch. Often, it is only thanks to the alertness of members of the public that animals can be helped. A few weeks ago, the non-profit was told that a deer had been run over, which had milk in its udders. Teams moved out and combed the surrounding fields for the young. This year, they found two fawns that way who otherwise would have been left to their own devices.[1]

Anyone who comes across a fawn, or any other wild animal, should not touch it. The mother is likely nearby and will return. The instinct that tells humans to rescue is the same instinct that can do harm. The best help is a phone call, not a pair of hands.[1]