When rescue comes from the sky

The summer months are the most beautiful time of year for many people – but for our team, they mean peak season. Alongside numerous transport and tourist flights, animal rescue missions are also an important part of our work.

While livestock graze on the alpine pastures, we are called out by helicopter almost every day to help animals in distress. During the alpine season, we rescue an average of around 170 animals from difficult and inaccessible terrain.

Our rescue flights take us to a wide range of situations: animals that have fallen into steep terrain, as well as injured or sick livestock stranded in inaccessible locations and unable to move on their own. In many cases, a ground rescue is impossible – making the helicopter the fastest and safest solution.

When an animal is injured, a veterinarian will usually accompany the flight. The animal is examined, given initial treatment and prepared for transport directly at the scene. This medical care is essential to relieve the animal’s pain and ensure a safe transport.

The animal is then flown by helicopter to the nearest accessible road or directly down to the valley. From there, it can either be returned to a stable for further veterinary care or, if the animal has unfortunately died, transported to an official carcass collection point.

Every mission is different and brings its own challenges. Together with farmers, veterinarians and our operational teams, we do everything we can to help the animals quickly and professionally. Especially during the summer months, it becomes clear how important well-organised aerial animal rescue is for alpine farming and animal welfare.

We would like to thank everyone involved for the excellent cooperation and the trust placed in us. With every successful mission, we make an important contribution to protecting and caring for our animals – even in places where the only way in is from the air.