Wildlife care centers in France and Switzerland have been struggling to cope with the impact of a severe heatwave, which has led to a significant rise in the number of animals being taken in since May compared to previous summers. Marie-Pierre Puech, a veterinarian at the Wildlife Hospital in Laroque, Occitanie, described the summer as "murderous for wildlife." Similar challenges have been reported across France and the French-speaking part of Switzerland, with centers reporting a difficult summer due to the extreme weather conditions. The Occitan station received up to 300 calls per day during the four-month heatwave. Catherine Audic, a volunteer at the center, explained that the team had to limit the number of animals they could accept to manage their reception capacity and human resources. Most of the animals brought in were young birds, such as swallows, martins, cattle egrets, and herons, which fell from their nests due to the heat. Many of these cases were linked to the nesting season overlapping with the heatwave. The center also saw an increase in the number of diurnal and nocturnal raptors, as adult birds struggled to find enough food and water in the high temperatures. In Île-de-France, the Faune Alfort wildlife care center received over 7,100 wild animals between May and August, a 11% increase compared to the previous year. Elisa Mora, a communication officer at the center, noted that they had to increase their staff from seven permanent caretakers to 18, including five extra people beyond what was expected for the high season. The center treated nearly 1,000 martins and swallows this year. In Switzerland, Sandra Bals, head of the Care Center at the La Garenne animal park in the canton of Vaud, explained that the temperature inside nests can become extremely high during heatwaves, causing young martins to jump from the nest prematurely. The center collected 96 birds between June and August, compared to 67 at the same time last year, a 43% increase. Caroline Chatton, a veterinary assistant at the Rita Roux care station in the canton of Fribourg, warned that even a single day with temperatures of 40 degrees or more can cause harm to nestlings. While birds have been the primary victims, other animals such as deer, foxes, and bats have also suffered due to the lack of food and water. Animals treated are often thinner and weaker than usual, and the Faune Alfort center reported fewer young hedgehogs than usual, possibly due to increased mortality before they could be detected and cared for. Lydia Bourdeau, a veterinarian at the Poitevine Wildlife Care Center, described the summer as extremely demanding, noting that she slept only three hours a day for a month and a half. She treated over 80 baby hedgehogs in May and up to 150 young martins in a single day in July. The combination of floods, heatwaves, and forest fires has left both animals and care center staff without time to recover. Maria Belen Aguirre, a veterinarian at the Wildlife Hospital, emphasized that while care centers do their part in treating, feeding, protecting, and releasing animals when possible, they cannot solve problems that affect all. Joan Clara Eberlein, administrative manager of the Erminea care center in the canton of Vaud, noted that the ten care centers in the French-speaking part of Switzerland are insufficient, especially as some are specialized in only a few species. She highlighted that the work relies heavily on donations, volunteering, and the commitment of the teams, and that capacity limits can be reached quickly during exceptional events like heatwaves. Sandra Bals pointed out that the main issue is funding, noting that it is not always easy to find the necessary resources for wildlife care, which requires significant personnel, equipment, and resources. Lydia Bourdeau added that there should be a care center per department, which is not the case today. The Wildlife Hospital in Occitanie was the only one handling the summer's influx in collaboration with the Toulouse veterinary school. Marie-Pierre Puech noted that "the animals fall from the sky, but not the money, nor the institutional support."