Dutch animal rescuers head to Spain’s Ávila to feed animals that survived the wildfires

Rescuers from the animal aid organization Animal Heroes are departing Sunday for Spain’s Ávila province, west of Madrid, an area heavily damaged by wildfires.

Starting Monday morning, the team will buy emergency feed and other supplies for animals on site. Local volunteers will then distribute the aid.

The initial focus is providing food for birds, rabbits, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, cattle, and wild animals affected by the fires.

“Many animals survive the flames, but not the period afterward,” said Esther Kef from Animal Heroes. “We cannot possibly save all the animals, but we hope with this action to make a difference for as many animals as possible.”

In the meantime, forty Dutch firefighters are currently training in Spain on advanced wildfire tactics from Catalan experts until August 15. Their deployment is a part of the European prepositioning program that stations crews in high-risk areas. Edwin Kok of Borne, national coordinator for wildfire management at Brandweer Nederland, previously said that the firefighters assist Spanish crews while receiving intensive, hands-on training in Spanish strategies.