Wildlife rescue
In spring, starting from April, thousands of fawn, young hares, wild rabbits, ground-nesting birds etc. are injured or killed by farmers' mowing operations.
How many wild animals exactly this affects is unknown, but according to federal hunting statistics, it can be assumed that in Switzerland at least 1,500 young animals annually are affected by fawn alone. Despite the use of new search methods, no declining trend in these cases has been observed so far. Since far from all animals that fall victim to mowing blades die immediately, but are instead partially or severely injured, mowing operations also represent a serious animal welfare problem. Ever-faster agricultural machinery and modern harvesting methods leave our wildlife virtually no chance of survival.
Today, no meadow or grain field where wildlife is suspected may be mowed without prior warning, as this would constitute a violation of animal welfare laws. Responsible farmers inspect the area before mowing and mow during daylight hours from the inside outward to provide wildlife with an escape route.
Wildlife rescue situation
Doe deer place their fawn primarily in meadows near forests. The mother deer visits the fawn only briefly in the first weeks for nursing, often at night, to avoid drawing enemies' attention to the young through her presence. The survival of many young animals is ensured by their inconspicuous behavior and their instinct to press themselves to the ground and remain motionless when danger approaches. The young animals are perfectly camouflaged thanks to their spotted coats. It is a survival tactic that leads to disaster. In the cultural landscape, most fawn inevitably lie in agriculturally used meadows. When a mowing machine approaches, they have no chance. They are caught in the cutting mechanism, dismembered, or left severely injured. Such accidents are terrible for all involved.
Today, indisputably more young hares are mowed down than in the past. However, this is not so much related to the large working width and high speed of mowing equipment, but is primarily a consequence of the situation that meadows and pastures today are mowed every six to seven weeks. Previously, there were only two cuts: a hay cut and an aftermath cut. The hay cut took place at the end of May/beginning of June, the aftermath cut in August. This meant that young hares born in April and placed in a meadow, as well as those born at the end of June/beginning of July, were safe from the blades of the mowing machine. Today, however, almost only silage is made. This means that a meadow is mowed four to five times in the summer half-year. Thus, nowadays almost every young hare placed in a meadow is caught by the mowing death. Naturally, the doe chooses the right place for placing the fawn and their first weeks of life. In dense grass, newborn fawn are virtually invisible. Even the fox makes little prey here because it hesitates to hunt in dense grass growth. It prefers less dense vegetation. Without coordination with farmers during meadow mowing, effective young wildlife rescue cannot be carried out.
Hands off young wildlife
It is well-intentioned but usually harmful: People repeatedly collect apparently helpless young birds, rabbits, or other wild animals. Yet these wild animals are rarely in distress.
Young blackbirds leave the nest before they can properly fly, disperse throughout the garden, and thus reduce the risk of a cat or other predator catching the entire brood at once. The young birds maintain constant vocal contact with their parents – to our ears a helpless-sounding, piercing chirping. The parent animals thus always know exactly where their offspring are sitting and feed them regularly. So please leave the little featherballs alone. Only when immediate danger threatens or the young bird lands on a busy sidewalk or street should you gently place it in a protected, preferably elevated location nearby. This also applies to young tawny owls and long-eared owls.
Young birds can be touched with bare hands, because unlike with deer or hares, the parent animals are not disturbed by human scent. In case children bring a young bird home out of misunderstood animal love, it can be returned to the location where it was found even hours later.
The chicks of gallinaceous birds, ducks, geese, swans are precocial birds that are led by their parents or one parent. If such a chick wanders around alone for an extended period, it is indeed abandoned and needs help. It is useless to try to place an orphaned duckling with another leading duck mother – she will drive it away or even try to kill it. Feathered foundlings are best brought immediately to an appropriate care facility or other knowledgeable persons after prior telephone contact.
A fawn in the garden or a small bird in the living room, picked up by well-meaning people, presents inexperienced – and sometimes even experienced – caregivers with major problems. Similar to birds, improper feeding in young mammals frequently leads to permanent damage. Wild animals picked up under such circumstances have only minimal survival chances!