Urban heat islands - where cities are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas - affect wildlife behaviour, physiology and welfare. Mitigation through green infrastructure benefits both wildlife and human residents.
Urban heat island effects on wildlife welfare are multifaceted. Animals that cannot thermoregulate effectively in extreme urban heat experience physiological stress, reduced foraging capacity and increased mortality risk. Juveniles (fledglings, fox cubs, hedgehog young) are particularly vulnerable because their thermoregulation is less efficient and they have limited capacity to seek cooler environments. Water availability is a direct welfare resource in heat - birds and small mammals that cannot access drinking water in hot conditions deteriorate rapidly. Urban green infrastructure investments - trees, green roofs, water features, permeable surfaces - simultaneously reduce heat island effects and improve wildlife welfare across the urban landscape.