Hundreds of animals saved from wildfires in Spain

An extensive animal rescue operation unfolded near Madrid, Spain, as wildfires threatened hundreds of creatures. Authorities adopted a clear directive: "We leave no one behind, regardless of species." This commitment saw a massive effort to save animals from the encroaching flames.

At Safari Madrid, keepers remained on site as the fire approached. They moved birds, reptiles, and large felines to air-conditioned concrete enclosures, continuously watering the surrounding grounds to prevent the fire from reaching the animals. The fire ultimately stopped about 500 meters from the park, but staff stayed on guard for two nights.

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We leave no one behind, regardless of species.

In San Martín de Valdeiglesias, a bullring was transformed into an improvised refuge for hundreds of evacuated animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, dogs, and cats. The Civil Guard shared footage of agents rescuing animals across the region, showing them evacuating horses and goats, calming cows and chickens, and checking on exotic animals like ostriches, camels, and crocodiles.

Animals from the Kuna Iberica sanctuary, specializing in injured wild animals, were also relocated. This included an Iberian wolf and a Eurasian lynx, both transported under anesthesia, along with four vultures. Other animals found refuge at the Alfonso X El Sabio University and various rescue centers. In cases where animals could not be moved in time, keepers opened enclosures, allowing them to escape the immediate danger. Remarkably, all approximately 1,000 animals at Safari Madrid survived the ordeal.

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The evacuation plan was simple: get out everything we could. Whatever we managed to evacuate was going to be evacuated.