What does “aufpäppeln” mean in German?

aufpäppeln means to nurse a sick or weak animal back to health by feeding it carefully by hand, day after day. The woman in the clip spent four weeks doing exactly this after a dog attacked a young hare. It is slow, hands-on work — small feedings many times a day — and the word usually carries that patient, gentle feeling.

“4 Wochen davon hat die Hasenretterin gebraucht, ihn nach einem Hundebiss wieder aufzupäppeln.” — “The hare rescuer needed four weeks to nurse him back to health after a dog bite.” aufpäppeln is the form you will hear in everyday speech — the shorter stem päppeln on its own is rare. Examples: “Wir haben den kleinen Vogel aufgepäppelt.” — “We nursed the little bird back to health.” “Sie päppelt verletzte Tiere wieder auf.” — “She nurses hurt animals back to health.” Note: you will mostly hear it for animals, though people sometimes use it warmly for a person who is slowly recovering from illness. It usually carries the sense of slow, hands-on care over time — not a quick treatment.