For centuries, India’s wildlife has lived in harmony with the rhythm of nature and its seasons. Migratory birds timed their arrival with the first showers of monsoon, turtles rely on the moon and the tide to make nests, and elephants followed ancient forest routes to access food and water. But today, the balance maintained since ages is shifting. Climate change is altering temperature and rainfall patterns, disturbing nature’s calendar, and wildlife is struggling to keep up.
Once guided by steady seasonal rhythms, India’s wildlife now navigates grasslands and forests reshaped by a rapidly changing climate. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Mradul Pathak]
This isn’t just a minor deviation, it’s a crisis! Climate change isn’t only melting glaciers or flooding coasts, it’s rewriting the harmonious patterns of the planet’s wildlife. From erratic monsoons to unprecedented heatwaves, these shifting conditions are disrupting animal behaviour, migration routes, breeding cycles, and even feeding habits. At Wildlife SOS, we’ve seen rescue calls rise significantly (up to 40% higher during peak heat months) during recent years recording extreme weather.
Changing Seasons, Shifting Behaviours
In a stable climate, temperature, daylight, and rainfall serve as nature’s timekeepers, signalling when animals should migrate, breed, or search for food. However, a latest study shows that India’s average temperatures have risen by 0.9°C between 2015-2024, which is the cause behind heat waves that are now lasting for longer in most parts of the country. The research data also reveals that the Indian Ocean is witnessing what is called “marine heatwaves”, its temperature rising at a shockingly fast rate of 0.12°C per decade. Warming of this ocean directly impacts monsoons in India, and at the same time, is adversely affecting the population of marine species.
Temperature changes in India are dramatically disrupting migratory patterns of birds arriving during the winter season. With the weather changing patterns and the cold days arriving later than they used to, the number of avians arriving at wetlands have seen a decline over the years. Not only this, the birds that would stay on in the wetlands of Punjab for a period of close to six months now leave within two months itself, reasons attributed to climate change, habitat decline and pollution. Additionally, droughts in Rajasthan have sharply reduced waterbird populations, forcing many native birds to shift northward to cooler habitats, reshaping local biodiversity. Bar-headed geese that migrate to Ladakh during their breeding season, and to wetlands of Karnataka in the winter season, are experiencing turbulence in their travel durations due to change in global temperatures. Wetland birds are experiencing habitat loss, human disturbance and lack of prey are connected reasons for the decline in their numbers. Other migratory species like the Himalayan monal and Indian skimmer are also encountering reduction in food availability as a result of alterations in the seasons.
Climate change is shrinking the Sundarbans mangrove forest, making its protection vital for Bengal tiger survival. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Hemant Chakma]
Breeding cycles are equally vulnerable, as they are mismatched with the availability of food. For instance, in the Sundarbans, Bengal tigers (with just ~100 remaining here) are giving birth at times that no longer align with the seasonal peak of chital deer populations, their prey. Erratic rainfall is delaying vegetation growth, which in turn affects when deer reproduce and are most abundant. As a result, tiger cubs are born when food is scarce, making survival harder for both mother and cub. This mismatch threatens the predator-prey balance, hindering the rate at which tiger numbers can go up.
Elephants in southern India’s landscapes, including Karnataka’s Bandipur, are facing unseasonal rainfall and droughts, most likely due to climate change. It triggered food crises that pushed them into agri-rich areas like Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, escalating human-elephant conflicts.
To illustrate, here’s a quick comparison:
| Species | Affected Habitat | Traditional Behaviour | Climate-Disrupted Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar-Headed Goose | Northern India (wetlands in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat) | Arrives in Oct for winter foraging | Early Sep arrival; face food scarcity |
| Bengal Tiger | Sundarbans (West Bengal) | Breeds Mar–Jun with prey abundance | Delayed cycles; lower cub survival |
| Asian Elephant | Southern India (Karnataka’s Bandipur & Nagarahole, adjacent Western Ghats) | Migrates Jun–Sep to seasonal rivers | Year-round crop raids due to dry water holes |
These subtle shifts may seem small year to year, but when clubbed together and compared, they form a growing ecological crisis, one that’s already testing India’s wildlife.
Extreme Weather: The New Climate Stressor
If seasonal shifts are a slow burn, extreme weather is an inferno. India’s wildlife now also faces the challenge of sudden and severe weather shocks — heatwaves, cold spells, and storms, directly threatening their survival.
During heatwaves, Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit rescues numerous grounded black kites and other avians suffering from hyperthermia and dehydration. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Kunal Malhotra]
In recent summers, India has faced record-breaking heatwaves that have scorched cities and rural landscapes alike. In fact, heatwaves in India now last 2–3 weeks longer than in the 1980s. During such times, the Rapid Response Units of Wildlife SOS receive an alarming raise in distress calls, particularly for birds collapsing from dehydration or heatstroke. When ambient temperatures exceed 45°C, birds lose water through breathing and panting much faster than they can replenish themselves with it. Avians are unable to sweat, and overheat when their body can no longer defend the rising temperatures. Global reports have indicated how even young or nesting chicks are being tragically affected from rise in temperature, their inability to flee their hot, open nest results in fatal outcomes.
Even nocturnal avian species such as owls and bats, usually shielded in darkness, are reported to experience dehydration. Cases of reptiles venturing into human settlements in search of cooler spaces are also noticed, increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict. In 2024, New Delhi’s scorching heat saw our rescue teams treat over 500 cases of dehydrated urban wildlife that included squirrels and monkeys as well.
Heat waves and unseasonal cold spells leave small mammals struggling to regulate body temperature. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Akash Dolas]
Heat, however, is just one end of the spectrum. Cold spells, though rarer, hit hard too. Unseasonal drop in temperature, particularly in northern India, leaves small mammals and birds vulnerable to hypothermia, a condition where the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, leading to weakness and collapse. Storms and cyclones, on the other hand, amplify the chaos. As monsoons become more erratic, intense storms and flash floods lead to the destruction of nesting sites and ground-dwelling animals. From monitor lizards to small mammals, like squirrels and civets, many end up displaced or injured after heavy rainfall events. Cyclone Remal in May 2024 uprooted mangroves, destroying numerous olive ridley sea turtles’ mass-hatching sites along with the eggs off the coast of Odisha. Just before this calamity, around 3 lakh sea turtles had laid eggs.
Weather-oriented Methods for Rescue & Rehabilitation
Wildlife SOS’s Rapid Response Units are seeing firsthand how drastic changes in weather are reshaping rescue patterns. Caregivers taking care of animals at our rehabilitation centres are also applying techniques to support seasonal changes. During extreme heat, shaded recovery enclosures, rehydration therapy, and soft release during cooler hours are parts of the summer protocol adopted. During cold spells, animals receive insulated bedding and controlled warmth until their body temperature stabilises. In flood scenarios, rescued animals are triaged and stabilised before releasing them into safe habitats once the water recedes.
With climate extremes pushing many species to their limits, Wildlife SOS veterinarians provide life-saving support to animals rescued after collapsing from heat stress. Immediate medical intervention is crucial during such events. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Kunal Malhotra]
These interventions protect lives, but they also demand greater manpower, medical supplies, and coordination. With global climate becoming variable at a faster pace, organisations like Wildlife SOS are continuously alert, evolving their methods and readiness to respond to calls concerning weather related distress.
What Can We Do?
One doesn’t need a cape to fight the threat of climate change. Even small acts can make a big difference. Here are some ways citizens can help protect wildlife during temperature extremities:
- During Heatwaves: Place shallow, wide clay/ceramic bowls filled with fresh water in shaded outdoor areas for birds and small mammals. Refill them often, especially around the mid-day heat.
If you find a collapsed bird, move it gently into a safe shade and contact the nearest wildlife officials or a rescue helpline as soon as possible.
[Infographic © Wildlife SOS/Sneha Parul]
- During Cold Snaps: Keep small boxes lined with cloth outside sheltered corners for birds seeking shelter. Spreading out warm bedding or blankets for strays are helpful as well.
If an animal appears showing signs of cold stress, such as, shivering, being unable to move, or appearing disoriented — immediately contact trained wildlife rescuers for guidance. - During Storms/Floods: Avoid entering flooded areas to rescue wildlife on your own. Instead, report stranded animals to local forest officials or rescuers, sharing photos or GPS locations if possible. In case an animal is saved from wet areas, a temporary shelter that includes towels for drying can be arranged till help arrives.
- Year-Round: Reduce your carbon footprint — opt for carpool, more plant-based options in meals, and sustainable living. Reducing the carbon footprint slows the atmospheric warming that fuels extreme weather, in turn decreasing the frequency of catastrophic climate-driven events.
Remember that dehydration, shock, and stress are the silent killers of wildlife. Quick reporting and responsible first aid can mean the difference between an animal’s life and death.
A Call for Collective Action
India’s wildlife has thrived through ice ages and empires. Over thousands and millions of years, species evolved alongside natural shifts in temperature and rainfall that took place over long periods of time. What we’re witnessing today, however, is entirely different. Driven by human activities — deforestation, burning of coal and oil, unchecked emissions and more — temperatures are rising at a pace 10 to 100 times faster than any natural shift in Earth’s history. Species that once had millennia to evolve and migrate now have only decades, or even a single generation, to cope.
In this accelerated crisis, animals are forced to rapidly adapt behaviours to survive. These shifts strain their bodies, cut reproduction rates, and drive them into human spaces, triggering a sharp rise in human-wildlife conflicts. Survival tactics become conflict flashpoints, endangering both wildlife and people.
As shifting seasons reshape forests, the future of many species, especially those already endangered, grows more uncertain, suspended in the fragile balance of the climate choices we make now. [Photo © Wildlife SOS/ Atharva Pacharne]
There was a time when clean water and breathable air were free gifts of nature, available to every human and every animal. Today, in many Indian cities, we pay for clean water and plug in air purifiers to survive the winter smog. We can afford that price. Wild animals cannot!
Every year the seasons grow stranger: winters that arrive late, monsoons that vanish or flood, summers that refuse to end. Yet despite these growing oddities, Wildlife SOS never stops. Our 24×7 rescue teams race through blistering heatwaves and raging storms, our veterinarians work round-the-clock in rehabilitation centres, and every animal life saved from seasonal distress is given the care and chance it deserves.
But we can’t do it alone. Your support keeps our ambulances running, and our doors open for every animal in distress. Help us continue this lifesaving work by donating now. Together, we remain a steady support for India’s wildlife, no matter how unpredictable the seasons become.
Feature image: Kunal Malhotra/ Wildlife SOS
