Operation of the animal fire brigade in the Schütt in Carinthia. A rare family of mergansers threatened to drift near the lock due to the strong current. Ten firefighters from FF Arnoldstein gave everything to help the chicks in particular.
The female zander and her eight chicks had ended up in the area of the Schüttsluis rake and the strong current was causing problems, especially for the chicks. Walkers had therefore alerted the fire brigade. “The operation was very time-consuming because we could only try to save the chicks with nets. But the little ones were anything but happy about that. We had to prevent them from being dragged into the rakes,” reports fire chief Michael Miggitsch.
“We all cheered”
In the end, three chicks were rescued. “The other five then managed to get out of the current with their mother. They fought, we all stood for it,” said Miggitsch. A water jet was also used to prevent the chicks from drifting further. Fortunately, the whole waterfowl family was able to swim back to safe water. The firefighters will probably remember this mission for a long time .
Goosanders threatened
According to BirdLife expert Andreas Kleewein, there are only 5 to 13 breeding pairs in Carinthia. The merganser is classified as critically endangered in the recently published compendium “Red list of endangered animals in Carinthia”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
