Photo by Dottie Tison

I’m taking a step away from writing today about Mackie and Jeremy in my Who Is Mackie Spence? follow-up to blog about animals under duress. Wherever you live, you may see a change in bird population behavior, or see a decline in mammal species populations.

The National Wildlife Federation lists wildlife dependency on healthy habitats as:

The right temperatures
Fresh water
Food sources
Places to raise their young

Photo by Dottie Tison

Indeed, wildlife shelters everywhere have been stressed by recent extreme weather conditions. Record numbers of animals are in need of relief due to storms, flooding, tornadoes and temperature volatility.

Examples of trauma to wildlife come from Texas, which saw weeks of high flooding in May of this year. Burrowing animals such as rabbits have been decimated. Fawns have been unable to cross floodwaters and record numbers of birds in peril have been reported to wildlife shelters.

Like flooding, tornadoes severely impact bird populations by killing birds and decimating their habitat. According to the US National Weather Services, states that have seen tornado activity since January of 2015 include: Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Photo by Dottie Tison

Another factor, extreme temperature, affects a range of animal species around the world. The list of at risk animals with homes on the land, trees, and water continues to grow. As featured by the National Wildlife Federation, some North American species most affected include the American pika, waterfowl like ducks and geese, trout, and salmon. The National Geographic cites coral, polar bears, and frogs as hard hit.

Our wildlife friends need help. Whether you improve your backyard habitat, send funds to your local wildlife shelter, or show support on a more global level, your efforts make life possible for wildlife species in distress.

The post Weathering the weather, wherever appeared first on Lin Kaymer.