Recently, Henrik Hagbard was called out to one of the tasks that is taking up more and more of his work week.

A heifer on natural grazing land had come into conflict with people who also used the area, and the owner had been unable to get close to the animal in the densely vegetated area.

Henrik Hagbard was therefore called in to assess the animal and immobilize it so that it could be relocated.

"It was not suited for an area where it would be in close contact with dog walkers and joggers, so it had to be moved. In general, the animals are shy of people, but not of cars. That's why we can often get close enough to them in the car for me to dart them from the passenger seat. In this case, the undergrowth was too dense for a remote immobilization, though, so we will try to catch her with feed instead," he says.

The importance of reliable equipment

As a veterinarian specializing in rewilding, immobilization equipment is an indispensable part of his toolbox. Over the course of six months, he has immobilized 250 animals with his DANiNJECT equipment:

“Two-thirds of the animals I handle are tranquilized first. This is usually done with a tranquilizing rifle, and occasionally with a jab stick. It is essential that I have equipment I can rely on. If I cannot tranquilize the animals quickly and safely, I cannot do my job. It is also important for the animals that they are tranquilized quickly and without too much stress so that they are not harmed."

Photo: Morten Christensen, Ravn-Nature

The aurochs is (almost) back

Henrik Hagbard has been involved in several rewilding projects, most recently Saksfjed Wilderness on Lolland in southern Denmark. Here, 30 Tauros oxen were released in August onto an 800-hectare area. With bulls weighing 1,500 kilograms and with a shoulder height of 180 centimeters and horns measuring 1 meter, the Tauros ox is the closest thing we have to the extinct aurochs.

The animals were imported from the Netherlands, and Henrik Hagbard had the important task of supervising the animals both before and after they arrived in Denmark.

"Upon arrival, I helped receive the animals and monitor them for the first few days. Now my job is to take the monthly blood samples that the Danish authorities require us to do for the first year.”

Freedom and nature

For Henrik Hagbard, both the way of working and the professional challenges have led him to focus on rewilding.

“It gives me a great amount of freedom and a lot of nature experiences. I also think rewilding is an area where veterinarians are needed to contribute with our knowledge about health monitoring, behavioral assessment, and animal welfare,” he says. 

Photo: Mia Carlsen, Sagnlandet Lejre