France’s wildlife rescue centres overwhelmed by extreme heatwaves and fires

France's summer has barely begun, yet thousands of wild animals are already struggling. Record-breaking heatwaves and devastating wildfires are destroying habitats, separating families, and leaving exhausted, dehydrated, and injured wildlife with nowhere to turn.

More than 35,000 hectares of wildlife habitat have gone up in flames, already exceeding the total burned throughout all of 2025.

As forests turn to ash, wild animals lose their homes in an instant. Hedgehogs, foxes, squirrels, weasels, and birds are suffering, and rescue centres are now overflowing with record numbers of animals in need of urgent care.