Experts make concerning discovery about animals' behavior after wildfires: 'This is now a new environment'

Animals face more than flames during a wildfire — the real struggle often begins once the fire is out.

What's happening?

As of August 18, 25 fires were burning roughly 213,000 acres across Colorado, according to VailDaily. The DFPC Colorado Wildland Fire Status Dashboard shows multiple fires were ongoing around mid-September. That kind of destruction doesn't just reshape the land — it forces wildlife to make split-second choices to survive.

Wildfires are now a regular part of Colorado's landscape. And while the flames grab our attention, the story doesn't end when the smoke clears. Animals like rabbits, deer, elk, and even fish may flee or get moved to safety. But when they return, life gets complicated.

Fires wipe out food and shelter, choke streams with ash and sediment, and upset the balance between predators and prey.

As Gavin Jones, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, explained to VailDaily: "From the animals' perspective, this is now a new environment and the distribution of resources has also changed."

Why is the impact of wildfires on animals concerning?

When animals can't bounce back, people feel it too — in hunting grounds, fishing streams, and even in their own neighborhoods.

A damaged food chain can result in fewer deer or elk for hunters, degraded waterways that impact fishing and drinking water, and even altered predator movements that bring bears and mountain lions closer to people in search of food.

It's not just about the survival of wildlife; it's about the safety and stability of the communities that share these spaces.

If animals can't find food or clean water in the wild, people often see the consequences in their own backyards.

What can be done to help animals?

After fires, conservation crews get to work. They reseed the ground so plants grow back, clear streams choked with ash, and set up safer paths so animals can move around.

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Local communities pitch in, too — building crossings for wildlife and even helping with emergency relocations when flames are active.

There are success stories out there. California built a wildlife bridge so animals can cross eight lanes of freeway safely. In Oregon, one group restored the McKenzie River for fish after a wildfire.

The fixes look different depending on the place, but the lesson remains the same: When people step in to help, both animals and communities come out stronger.

And there are plenty of ways for people to make a difference. Supporting local conservation projects, planting native vegetation that provides food and shelter for creatures, and keeping waterways clean all make it easier for wildlife to bounce back.

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