The RSPCA has seen a huge increase in heat-distressed herring gull chicks being brought into its four wildlife sanctuaries during the hottest periods.
It took in 380 in June and July 2025, but over the same period this year it accepted 1,297.
Staff have been filling paddling pools and running sprinklers to keep them hydrated and cool. When the chicks have been ready, staff at East Winch in Norfolk have been arriving at 06:00 BST to release them into the wild.
The organisation said the number of dehydrated and orphaned hedgehogs being cared for had risen by 30% over the same period compared with 2025.
Although cooler and wetter conditions are forecast over the next week in the drought areas, the situation for wildlife is unlikely to improve quickly.