The federal government will continue to support the purchase of drones for fawn rescue in 2022.

Registered associations can now apply for funding!

Every year fawns are injured or killed during mowing operations in spring, as they are laid down by does in meadows and forage crops and instinctively duck when threatened by the approaching mower. The fawns thus fall victim to the mowing work if they are not discovered in time.

From 25 July 2022, registered associations whose statutory tasks include the care and promotion of hunting as well as animal, nature and landscape conservation or the rescue of wild animals can apply to the BLE for funding for the acquisition of drones with thermal imaging cameras.

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is providing a total of three million euros to support the acquisition of suitable drones that can be used to scan grassland and arable forage areas before mowing in a time-saving and effective manner, especially for fawns, in order to save them from being mown to death and thus contribute to animal welfare.

Further details are described and regulated in the BMEL guideline on funding the acquisition of drones with thermal imaging cameras for fawn rescue of 2 March 2021.

Requirements

On the basis of the funding guideline, eligible associations can apply for funding for up to two drones, each of which can be funded with a maximum of 4,000 euros or a maximum of 60 per cent of the eligible expenses.

The minimum technical requirements for the drones are that they be equipped with a real camera with integrated/compatible thermal imaging camera, a minimum flight time of 20 minutes and a home return function. The purchase of the control unit, up to two spare batteries and a transport container are also eligible.

Costs for instruction in the device as well as training, the costs for care and maintenance, own work or required operating resources as well as obtaining a drone licence/ flying licence are excluded from the funding.

Eligible to apply are registered district hunting associations, hunters' associations at district level in the legal form of a registered association or in the legal form of a public corporation or other registered associations at regional or local level whose tasks include the maintenance and promotion of hunting or the rescue of wild animals, with priority of Fawnen, at the meadowmahd (so-called fawn rescue associations).

Application procedure

The application procedure is two-stage - an initial application is used to decide on eligibility, after which an application for payment can be submitted.

Applications for participation in the funding measure (first stage) can be submitted with immediate effect and until the 1 September 2022 here (https://www.ble.de/DE/Projektfoerderung/Foerderungen-Auftraege/Rehkitz/Rettung_node.html) can be provided.

Image: Sophie Linckersdorff - iStock/ Getty Images Plus via Getty Images