Welcome to the Rehkitzrettung Rhein Neckar e.V.

Every year, an average of 100,000 roe deer are killed by accident by mowers in spring. With modern drones and thermal imaging cameras, our association supports hunters and farmers to save the fawns.

If you would like to support us and help us, we are looking forward to your membership or a donation!

Mowed fawn in treatment at the vet

Our goals & tasks include:

  1. Be a trusted contact for farmers.
  2. Gather the location of fawns and other „meadow inhabitants“, such as field hare and pheasant.
  3. The professional recovery and guarantee of temporary security of the found wild animals so that they can be accepted and cared for again by their parents after the moving.
  4. The necessary publicity work to raise public awareness of this problem.
  5. Mediate in between farmers and hunters, as neither of these groups has an interest in game loss and represents a responsible approach to nature.

How does a fawn rescue process take place?

A farmer or hunting tenant contacts us and informs us about his plan to mow a piece of land on a certain day. We organize the search teams of our members and volunteers and put together rescue teams.

In teams consisting of at least four people, we gather at the corresponding areas. A member of the team, a drone pilot, hoovers the field with the drone and scans it for heat signatures.

Our members work exclusively on a voluntary basis, the work usually takes place in the early hours of the morning between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.!

A second team member looks at the screen and observes whether there are fawn or other animals in the meadow. The thermal imaging camera clearly indicates this. If a wild animal is finally located, we must hurry to catch it.

With radios, the rest of the team’s helpers are led to the found location to retrieve the fawn.

The fawn must not to be NOT touched by hand, but „packed“ with grass so that they are not covered by human smell. The fawn is carried out of the meadow after being captured and placed in a wooden box for the duration of the mow. After the mow, the boxes are removed again, and the deer mothers can pick up their offspring unscathed at the edge of the meadow.

So how can you help?!

Become a active member, sponsor, or sign you company up for a funding membership!

Private Sponsors for the fawn rescue…

As an active member, you pay only an exceedingly small annual membership fee of 20€, which is fully integrated into our association and pays for the coordination and rescues, in addition, you are also willing to help actively with fawn rescues (April / May / June) and, if necessary, help with events close to the city of Heidelberg in the Rhein-Neckar district at an information stand.

As a support member, you support our work with an annual membership fee of €60 but are not included in the active members‘ communication groups (WhatsApp, Facebook) or asked for other work.

We also offer a sponsorship membership for companies, which starts at 300€ per year and allows the companies to place their logo on our website in a future created area „Sponsors“.

Each member may be represented by 1 person to participate in our member meetings and is equally entitled to vote to this extent.

To become a member or sponsor, please fill out, sign and send this membership form to  info@rehkitzrettung-rhein-neckar.de