Animals struggling amid drought, charity warns

An animal charity in Leicestershire has told of the severe impact on local wildlife due to the prolonged hot and dry weather.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, based in Kibworth Beauchamp near Market Harborough, said it was taking in more creatures than ever that were dehydrated or starving due to the conditions.

Amy Ducker, from the charity, told the BBC it had already exhausted its water reserves, which usually last an entire summer.

The East Midlands was officially placed in drought earlier this month due to the extended hot spell.

"The dry weather has meant we have been busier than ever," Ducker said. "The animals have been struggling.

"There's no water. The ground is so dry they can't get any insects from the floor.

"Most of the animals coming into us are dehydrated to some degree, and most of them are starving."

Ducker said the hospital had recently taken in underweight hedgehogs and "collapsed" blackbirds, among other struggling creatures.

The charity collects rainwater during wet months of the year, in preparation for dry periods.

"We have four massive tanks that each store 10,000 litres (2,200 gallons) of water," Ducker said.

"It normally sees us through the summer but this year we ran out a few weeks ago."

She said the charity's well had also dried up, meaning it had to use water from the mains to care for its animal patients and that had cost the charity "thousands of pounds" because it was on a water meter.

Ducker added: "It's crazy. We use at least 600 litres of water a day for the animals in the enclosures and water beds.

"It's quite worrying and tricky trying to survive as a charity and this is added pressure.

"It's going to take a lot for the tanks to fill up because where the well is, the ground is so dry, the water that is there is just going into the ground at the minute.

"We're not really collecting anything at the moment, even when we do get little bits of rain."

After several heatwaves, UK weather patterns are set to change.

There is some rain forecast this week, though it is not likely to be significant or bring any change to the dry conditions.

It will also turn noticeably cooler in the coming days with temperatures falling below average across the UK.

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