Animals Burning in Man-Made Fires

For the thousands of mammal, reptile, amphibian, and bird species that call the Amazon their home, the current raging wildfires will cause a massive toll in the short term, and threaten their species’ existence long term.   

“They can try to hide by burrowing or going into water… They can be displaced. Or they can perish. In this situation, a lot of animals will die, from flames, heat from the flames, or smoke inhalation…

The entire ecosystem of the burning sections of rainforest will be altered… the dense canopy … largely blocks sunlight from reaching the ground. Fire opens up the canopy at a stroke, bringing in light and fundamentally changing the energy flow of the entire ecosystem. This can have cascading effects on the entire food chain.”

Read the National Geographic article here: