After the fires in Gironde: Injured and exhausted wildlife returns to Audenge

Audenge – 03.08.2026: Transport crates are once again ready at the care center of the bird protection organization LPO in Audenge. Following the forest fires in Gironde, staff are taking in injured and weakened wild animals brought from the affected areas. The center at the Domaine de Certes had itself been evacuated when Audenge had to be evacuated because of the fires.

The animals that could not be released during the evacuation were temporarily taken to the wildlife center in Tonneins, in the Lot-et-Garonne department. At the time, the LPO said the animals were safe there. The organization is now once again referring people to its Audenge facility for wildlife in distress. This makes the center part of the care network again in a region that is still suffering from the consequences of the fires.

According to a report by Franceinfo, animals are now arriving that have survived smoke, heat and flight from their habitat. In some cases, extreme stress can trigger serious physical consequences, including a stress-related muscle disorder. For the carers, this means that every injury and every state of exhaustion must be assessed individually. Visible burns are only part of the problem.

The center normally cares for around 6,000 wild animals in need each year, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Its catchment area extends beyond Gironde into several departments in southwestern France. The facility therefore takes on tasks that become particularly difficult after a major fire: stabilizing animals, housing them appropriately and releasing them only when a return to suitable habitat is possible.

The LPO is also appealing to people who spot a wild animal in a fire zone not to enter cordoned-off or freshly burned areas. Anyone who finds an injured animal should contact the care center or specialists. Inexperienced assistance can cause additional stress; according to the organization, feeding or giving water on one’s own is also not a reliably safe standard measure.

For Audenge, the return of the center means more than simply resuming operations. While firefighters and authorities continue to assess the situation in the affected forest areas, a long, barely visible phase is beginning for many animals. Whether they survive and can later be released into the wild is often decided in the center’s care rooms only days after their rescue.