Deer Timmy: Living room pioneer gets Dithmarschen excited!

Deer Timmy: Living room pioneer gets Dithmarschen excited!

A deer that amazes the nation! The two-year-old animal, affectionately called “Timmy”, has made himself comfortable in the living room of a family in western Schleswig-Holstein. Timmy hasn't been sleeping in the forest for two years, but has proven that he has his own lifestyle: during the day he relaxes with other deer in the fields of Dithmarschen, but night after night he is drawn to the four walls of his foster home. “He was supposed to be released into the wild, but that didn’t work out,” says the keeper. “Timmy didn’t want to.”

A heartwarming story began when Timmy, as a little fawn, was given to his mother to care for him after an accident with a wild animal. The former farmer, who raised the fawn with colostrum, is happy about every day that she can spend with Timmy: “We are happy that he is alive and has another chance.” Equipped with a transponder, she always has an overview of the mythical creature, which can freely come and go in her garden.

Expert view: Wild animals are not cuddly toys!

But not everyone is happy about Timmy's unconventional lifestyle. Wildlife biologist Frank Zabel warns: “The rearing of fawns belongs in professional hands.” Wild animals are not pets and should not be raised to form close relationships with humans. This practice carries risks: the animals could not survive in the wild or, in the worst case, end up posing a danger to people. “Fawns should only be cared for in groups and not individually,” emphasizes Zabel, recalling shocking cases in which fawns are taken from fields by people, which can lead to tragic consequences.