German Wildlife Foundation Names Roe Deer Animal of the Year 2019
Travelers driving or taking the train through Germany, especially in winter, often spot several roe deer standing together in a group. Aren't roe deer solitary animals? They are, but in the harsh season, community also means safety.
Travelers driving or taking the train through Germany, especially in winter, often spot several roe deer standing together in a group. Aren't roe deer solitary animals? They are, but in the harsh season, community also means safety.
In search of food, roe deer now nibble the last green leaves from bushes or scratch in the soil for remaining fruits. A roe deer must feed eight to twelve times a day to feel full. In winter, roe deer need less food; they have slowed down their metabolism.
Little known to most people
«Most people in our country know very little about roe deer,» says Hilmar Freiherr von Münchhausen, Managing Director of the German Wildlife Foundation. In the forest, roe deer are often pursued by hobby hunters, as they preferentially nibble on young trees.
Meadows as death traps for roe deer fawns
In open countryside, danger lurks above all in meadows, where fawns are hidden by their mothers just as farmers begin mowing the grass. «Meadows must no longer become death traps for roe deer fawns,» says the Managing Director. «Farmers and hobby hunters must do even more to save fawns before mowing.»
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