Wildlife caught in Spain’s devastating wildfires

IFAW is providing emergency support to GREFA, Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisation that has become a critical point of care for wild animals affected by the fires.

As of IFAW’s initial response, 71 wild animals have required GREFA’s support as a result of the fires, including 45 injured or at-risk animals admitted directly to its wildlife hospital and 26 animals evacuated from educational facilities and zoological centres threatened by the emergency.

Wild animals from 17 species need emergency care 

Each animal represents a different challenge for GREFA’s wildlife veterinarians and carers. Some require immediate veterinary treatment, while others may need ongoing rehabilitation before they can return to the wild. 

Every individual animal matters, and for threatened species, saving one animal can also contribute to the recovery of the wider population. Raptors, insect-eating birds, scavengers, and mammals all play different roles in healthy ecosystems. Helping wildlife survive and recover is one part of helping landscapes recover following disaster. 

A safe refuge from the fires 

GREFA’s role has extended beyond treating injured wildlife. 

As the fires threatened other animal facilities, 26 additional wild animals were evacuated to GREFA for their safety. Predominantly birds of prey, they included a golden eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle-owl, griffon vulture, black kites, barn owls, kestrels, and other wildlife. 

GREFA provided temporary accommodation and quarantine for the animals for six days, until authorities determined it was safe for them to return. 

This ability to respond quickly is critical during a fast-moving disaster. As one of Europe’s largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres, GREFA receives reports of animals in distress, deploys teams to collect and rescue wildlife, and provides veterinary treatment and rehabilitation at its wildlife hospital. Its emergency telephone service operates every day of the year.

IFAW provides emergency support 

With the wildfire response creating additional demands on GREFA’s staff, hospital, and resources, IFAW is providing emergency funding to support its work. 

Our support will help cover the additional costs associated with wildlife rescue, veterinary treatment and rehabilitation, transport, animal food and daily care, staffing, and temporary quarantine. 

For an animal caught in a wildfire, rescue is often only the first step. Depending on its injuries, recovery can require specialist veterinary treatment followed by days, weeks, or potentially months of rehabilitation. 

Supporting organisations such as GREFA helps ensure that trained local responders have the resources to act when animals need them most, from the moment an animal is reported or rescued through treatment and, wherever possible, its eventual return to the wild. 

Helping animals through a changing climate 

Wildfires can have consequences for wildlife long after the flames have passed. Animals that survive may be injured or displaced, while the loss of vegetation can leave them without the food, water, shelter, and nesting sites they depend on. 

These impacts also place growing pressure on the people working to protect them. Wildlife rescue teams, veterinarians, rehabilitators, volunteers, and local communities can all play a role in helping animals survive and recover. 

As extreme weather increases the risk and severity of disasters in many parts of the world, investing in local response capacity is increasingly important. IFAW works with local partners so that expertise and resources are available where they can make the greatest difference for animals and communities. 

In Spain, that means standing alongside GREFA as its teams continue caring for wildlife affected by this summer’s fires.