Credit: Erika Fletcher
A Bavarian wildlife rescue organization is using thermal imaging drones to locate and rescue vulnerable fawns hidden in tall meadow grass ahead of the annual mowing season.
Every spring, thousands of fawns are killed by mowing machinery across Germany. Baby deer instinctively freeze when threatened, a natural defense mechanism that protects them from predators but leaves them vulnerable to farm equipment.
Traditionally, this work was done on foot—with volunteers walking through the meadows in lines—an extremely labor-intensive task for this volunteer rescue group founded in 2020.
Now, with the thermal imaging of DJI drones, the rescue group, Rehkitz-Rettung Mangfalltal, can locate these hidden animals more quickly and efficiently before mowing begins, especially with the drone’s AI technology features that help pilots reliably spot fawns, baby hares, and ground-nesting birds.
Since integrating drone technology into their workflow, the group’s annual count of rescued fawns has ballooned from 10-15 in previous years to between 300 and 350 fawns today.
In a case study, operators used the Matrice 4 Series’ precision positioning controls to spot heat signatures in vegetation, verify them visually, and direct ground teams to the exact location. (See the video below…)
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Whenever the thermal camera detects a heat source, its location is pinned with centimeter-level accuracy using the drone’s GPS and shared instantly with the ground team.
The German case study also provides a video step-by-step guide on the rescue process, including drone operations from an altitude of 80–100 meters and how to handle fawns once they are found.
Thanks to the Rehkitz-Rettung Mangfalltal volunteers and drone pilots, farmers are able to happily proceed with mowing—confident that fields have been safely cleared of hidden animals. WATCH the Reuters news video below…
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