Animal Welfare Austria at the Limit: Heat Wave Pushes Wildlife Station to Capacity

Particularly affected, according to a press release issued on Tuesday, are juvenile birds, swifts, squirrels, falcons, crows, fawns, and hedgehogs. "Die Tiere kommen mit offenen Schnäbeln, dehydriert, völlig entkräftet und oft schon halb bewusstlos bei uns an," Scheidl described the condition of the animals. Staff have been working around the clock, but resources and space are exhausted: "Wir sind 100 Prozent privat finanziert – und wir brechen gerade zusammen."

Comparison with the Swallow Rescue

The situation reminds the organization of an earlier rescue operation during the flood disaster. At that time, 7,000 swallows were admitted to the animal shelter in Vösendorf. Scheidl spoke of a cry for help from the bottom of his heart and warned: "Jeder weitere Tag mit extremer Hitze kann das System endgültig zum Kippen bringen." If the situation worsens further, an admission freeze would be the last consequence.

Scheidl criticized the lack of state structures for wildlife protection during heat phases. "Es gibt keine Hitzepläne für Wildtiere," he said. "Damals wie heute zeigt sich: Wenn die Politik versagt, bleibt der gesamte Schutz der Wildtiere an den ehrenamtlichen Helfern und privaten Organisationen hängen." There is no coordinated support from the public sector.

Criticism of Missing Heat Plans

The organization is, according to its own statements, entirely privately funded. The costs of medical treatment and care for the rescued animals will continue to burden the shelter for weeks. Scheidl emphasized: "Eine weitere Hitzewelle dieses Ausmaßes wäre für uns nicht mehr stemmbar." An admission freeze would then be "die bittere, letzte Konsequenz – etwas, das wir mit aller Kraft verhindern wollen".

The organization is therefore urgently calling for donations as well as active support. Anyone who finds birds or other juvenile animals should not take them in on their own initiative, but should contact the Animal Welfare Austria hotline. Volunteer helpers who can care for animals temporarily are also being sought. In-kind donations such as towels, hot water bottles, or rearing food are also needed.

Call for Donations and Help

Meteorologists expect further rising temperatures in the coming days. This threatens the organization with exactly the scenario Scheidl describes as barely manageable. "Jeder weitere Hitze-Tag bringt unser System zum Kippen," he warned. Whether next week can be managed without restrictions on admissions will also depend on the receipt of donations.

The reports about the situation at Animal Welfare Austria were picked up by several Austrian media outlets and distributed via the APA. Observers see this as a symptom of missing municipal and nationwide concepts for dealing with wildlife in extreme weather conditions – not only during heat, but also during floods or storms.

At the same time, Scheidl looked ahead to the coming weeks. Should the heat wave persist, he expects an even larger number of animals in need of help. His appeal is directed equally at private individuals and at policymakers: in the short term to donors, in the medium term to government agencies that would need to develop a binding heat plan for wildlife.