Heatwave endangers German wildlife, causing animal deaths and disease risks
An intense heatwave across Germany is severely affecting wildlife. Storks have been observed applying their own feces to their legs as a cooling measure. Amphibians and juvenile birds are dying rapidly as water bodies dry up and nests overheat. Insects face collapse because dried soils and a lack of nectar reduce their food sources. Bats are suffering from overly hot roosts, and experts warn that a decline in bat numbers could impair pest‑control functions in ecosystems. Moles are dying or becoming incapacitated when soils become too dry and hard, limiting their access to food. The scarcity of water also leads to crowding at remaining sources, which accelerates the spread of viruses and parasites among wildlife and may pose a risk to humans. The observations are backed by scientists Inga Olfen of the Deutsche Wildtierstiftung, ecologist Dagmar Haase of Humboldt‑Universität zu Berlin, and wildlife‑management expert Tanja Straka of Hochschule Weihenstephan‑Triesdorf.
Entities: Dagmar Haase · Deutsche Wildtierstiftung · Deutsche Wildtierstiftung (German Wildlife Foundation) · Germany · Humboldt University of Berlin · Inga Olfen · Tanja Straka
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 18 SOURCES] Moles can die when soils become too dry and hard during prolonged heatwaves. (Experts quoted in the reports.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] During long heatwaves, weakened or dead moles are frequently found because they cannot reach food in hardened soil. (Experts quoted in the reports.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] Storks smear their own feces on their legs to protect against heat. (Experts quoted in the reports.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] Amphibians and juvenile birds die quickly due to drying water bodies and overheated nests during heatwaves. (Inga Olfen, Deutsche Wildtierstiftung.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] Bats suffer from extreme heat because roosts become hot and lack cool refuges. (Tanja Straka, Hochschule Weihenstephan‑Triesdorf.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] A decline in bat populations could negatively affect ecosystems, particularly pest control. (Tanja Straka, Hochschule Weihenstephan‑Triesdorf.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] Insects may collapse due to dried soils and lack of nectar during extreme heat. (Experts quoted in the reports.)
- [● 18 SOURCES] Crowded urban water sources during heatwaves accelerate the spread of deadly viruses and parasites among wildlife. (Experts quoted in the reports.)