Wildlife in Disasters: Emergency Animal Welfare

Natural disasters including wildfires, floods, and droughts cause mass mortality and suffering in wild animal populations, with emerging specialist response capacity to provide welfare interventions during and after disaster events.

Key Facts

The 2019-2020 Australian bushfires killed or displaced an estimated 3 billion animals, the largest recorded wildlife mortality event
Koala populations in some areas declined by 80% in the fires, pushing the species toward endangered status
Floodwaters force wildlife out of habitats into human-dominated areas, increasing road kill and human-wildlife conflict
The IUCN has developed wildlife disaster risk guidelines but implementation capacity is limited in most countries
Drought causes mass wildlife mortality through starvation and dehydration, particularly affecting large mammals that cannot relocate rapidly

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disaster welfare spans the acute emergency phase and long-term recovery. During fires, animals that cannot flee fast enough suffer burns, smoke inhalation, and thermal shock. Survivors may have severe burns to feet, eyes, and faces, requiring intensive veterinary care. Displacement from destroyed habitat creates resource competition, starvation, and exposure to predators and human threats. Recovery from population collapses can take decades. Welfare response capacity for wild animals in disasters remains far below that for companion animals, reflecting both the scale challenge and lower social prioritisation.

What You Can Do

Donate to wildlife emergency funds during major disaster events to support veterinary care and rehabilitation
Support World Animal Protection disaster response programmes that provide wildlife emergency welfare capacity
Advocate for wildlife welfare to be included in national disaster preparedness frameworks
Plant fire-resistant and drought-tolerant native vegetation in gardens to provide wildlife refuges during extreme weather events