The Silent Victim of the Flames: How Wild Animals Are Saved After Forest Fires

When the flames subside and the firefighters depart, another mission begins, one that is often unnoticed by the general public. Teams from the Wildlife Rescue Center "Green Balkans" enter the scorched territories, with the goal of finding and rescuing surviving forest inhabitants.

The specialists' work is extremely difficult and systematic. They move through the blackened earth in rows, covering as large an area as possible. They search for injured animals, tracks, nests, or remains. As Dr. Hristina Klisurova from the Center explains, every individual found is documented by species, sex, and age – regardless of whether they are alive or dead.

Who are the most vulnerable?
Fires do not kill only through direct contact with fire. The greatest risk is to animals that cannot move quickly: turtles, lizards, snakes, and small birds that cannot yet fly. Underground, rodents and small mammals often perish. Danger also comes from disorientation – the case in the area of Radovets village, where storks, frightened by the fire, collided with power lines, is proof that smoke and panic can also be fatal.

Rehabilitation and a New Home
The surviving animals, which are a rarity, are transported to the Veterinary Care Center. After undergoing treatment, which can last for months, they are returned to nature. If their habitat is completely destroyed, the team seeks a suitable alternative location for their relocation.

Better Organization and Volunteers
Since 2025, the Center has been better prepared through participation in the WWF initiative and the National Association of Volunteers. They have radio stations and specialized equipment, but field work still depends critically on volunteers. Among them are students from Thracian University, who contribute to the large-scale searches, without which it is impossible to cover the devastated territory.

It is important to note that the rescuers do not enter active fires so as not to interfere with the firefighters and not to risk their lives; they act only after the terrain has been declared safe.