As a record heat wave gripped the area for almost all of last month, most people quickly became frustrated with the unbearable temperatures. But while they had the luxury of seeking refuge in air-conditioned places, the wildlife did not.
With temperatures easily topping more than 100 degrees, animals accustomed to the normally mild climate suffered from the overwhelming heat. In particular, squirrels and birds experienced difficulty.
“It’s in the 90s pretty regularly, but when it gets over that, it causes trouble for them, just like the humans,” said Sherrill Cook, a spokeswoman for the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. “Most of them suffer from dehydration. They don’t have trouble finding water; they’re just not used to those extreme temperatures.”
Normally, animals are able to easily adapt to temperature changes. When summer begins and the temperatures begin to warm up, most animals will find the coolest spots they can, such as damp, breezy or shady areas. Some will nest in the ground or sit in a tree where it is usually much cooler.
However, the spike in temperatures led to heat exhaustion among the wildlife. In a span of three days, the museum’s hospital tended to more than 150 wild animals.
“There were a lot of illnesses and probably some deaths,” said Cook. “Like most other extremes, it’s the youngsters and older animals that have the most problems.”
Good Samaritans tried to lend a hand by tending to the animals that were stuck in the heat.
“This squirrel was so funny, he lives in the redwood tree in our front yard,” said Carrie Grime, a Danville resident. “My husband sprayed him with the hose and he just sat there and got drenched. Then the next day, he was on the ground cooling off, spread-eagled. I’ve never seen him lay on the ground, he was so hot.”
While hosing off an animal isn’t recommended because it may scare it away, water can be a source of much needed relief, said Cook. Effective ways to cool off animals include misting the air or leaving out drinking water.
“You can have a hose and let the animal choose to go into the stream,” said Cook. “Some of them will run through the sprinklers. If the animal looks like it’s suffering from heat, bring it in.”
However, people should not provide the animals with any food or salt licks.
“You don’t want them to become dependent on our generosity,” said Cook. “They may get too accustomed to people and lose their fear of people. You don’t want that to happen.”
Newport Academy received numerous state citations before closing Pleasanton clinicsApril 28, 2026 6:00 am
