'It was 40C when he died' How animals struggle to survive global heatwaves

Solly the sheep had not had an easy start to life. Maggot-ridden when found in a field, Solly defied the expectations of a vet and recovered quickly when an animal shelter took him in. He became a "leaping, happy lamb", his rescuers said.

- Ajit Niranjan

But Solly, named after the Spanish word for sun (sol), could not cope with the scorching heat in Mallorca, Spain. He contracted a disease from mosquitoes, whose breeding window is widening.

"It was 40C on the day that he died, and he was choking on his own tongue," said Nicole Eden, who runs the Eden Sanctuary for abandoned animals on the island.

Flies soon swarmed the body.

Unable to leave the other animals baking in the sun, Eden dug Solly a shallow grave with her hands and buried him through her tears.

Humans are not the only creatures hurt by hot weather.

From puppies whose paws toast on hot pavements to koalas unable to outrun fast-spreading fires, the animal world is suffering from greenhouse gas pollution that has made heatwaves hotter and longer.

In some ways, the situation in rescue shelters during hot weather mirrors hospitals around the world.

Those to die first are often old, ill or young. Drought makes it harder to get hold of water. For underfunded facilities that rely on volunteers, efforts to keep cool cost money and time both in short supply.

"It's a constant worry that if we turn our backs for too long, the animals will end up with heatstroke," said Eden, who lost a dog to the heat this year and suspects chickens and guinea pigs also succumbed. "It puts an immense amount of guilt on us."