Farmers face a recurring problem in June: young fawns hide in the meadows and instinctively freeze as they are approached by agricultural machinery.
On Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Claude Haagen attended a fawn rescue operation in Kahler, which was carried out by a farmer and a drone pilot from the non-profit organisation ‘Saving Bambi Luxembourg’.
To help farmers protect fawns during the harvest, members of the non-profit and leaders of six partner municipalities launched the pilot phase of the rescue operation in spring.
The aim of this project, which is now supported by the Ministry, is to prevent the needless death and mutilation of fawns and to help farmers mow with greater peace of mind. At the same time, it will help preserve the quality of the fodder and prevent the risk of livestock disease.
In practice, the non-profit behind the initiative now has seven drone pilots who fly over agricultural plots at the request of farmers before the start of the mowing season. The precise flight plans are drawn up using the geographical coordinates of the agricultural plots that the farmers provide to the pilots.
Fawns hiding in the meadows are located using infrared cameras and then removed. Once the mowers have passed, the fawns are released unharmed into their native territory, where they are reunited with their mothers. It is a rapid and meticulous operation, requiring expertise, knowledge of the terrain, and a deft touch.
At this stage, almost 200 fawns have already been rescued in Luxembourg.
