Germany's deepening drought is threatening wildlife with dehydration and suffocation, the German Animal Welfare Association warned, with young animals particularly at risk because they cannot travel far to water sources. The group urged residents to place shallow water bowls in shaded areas while a North Rhine-Westphalia animal protection official called for improved wildlife management.
The water crisis has extended across borders, with Swiss rivers and streams dropping to historically low levels, the Federal Office for the Environment reported. Eleven monitoring stations recorded all-time lows, and a fifth of stations measured their lowest levels for the April–July period. Major lakes including Constance, Zurich, and Maggiore showed severely diminished levels, with some northern Alpine waterways experiencing conditions typically seen only once in 30 to 100 years.
Meanwhile, low water on the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe has severely disrupted German cargo shipping, prompting Transport Minister Steffen Bilger to lift weekend truck restrictions and propose long-term measures including dredging and shallow-draft vessels. Environment Minister Carsten Schneider advocated restoring rivers to their natural state.