Islamabad wildlife centre sees more birds suffering from heat stress
Wildlife officials in Islamabad say more birds are arriving dehydrated or suffering from heat stress as temperatures climb above 40°C. The Margallah Wildlife Rescue Centre is also examining whether climate change is affecting breeding seasons and food supplies.
ISLAMABAD: Wildlife officials in Islamabad say they are increasingly treating birds affected by dehydration and heatstroke as summer temperatures in the capital rise above 40°C, with heat-related distress now overtaking injuries once commonly linked to kite flying.
At the Margallah Wildlife Rescue Centre, wildlife officer Zaheer Ahmed has been helping rehabilitate birds brought in after suffering from extreme heat. Pakistan recorded its second-warmest year since 1960 in 2025, underscoring the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
Sakhawat Ali, director of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, said the pattern of cases has changed in recent years. He said birds were previously often brought in with wing injuries caused by kite strings, but that heat-related cases have become far more common lately.
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