On the overgrown grounds where large dinosaur sculptures still stand, wild animals have been brought in for rehabilitation from across Pakistan, including bears and monkeys abused by their private owners.
Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of the human-induced climate crisis.
Ahmed said the centre can receive up to 30 calls a day in summer from locals about distressed wildlife, including birds, adding that their top priorities are to provide medical attention, food and water.
The feathered creatures are kept in quarantine, sometimes for several weeks, until they are fit to be released.
Birds face the heightened threat of forest fires, which can overlap with their breeding seasons, Ahmed said.
“Birds’ nests also get burned. The birds themselves also get burned a little,” says Ahmed. “So their entire habitat is being destroyed.”
Ali encouraged residents to put out bowls of water for their friendly fowls to drink, bathe and keep cool.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, a government agency, is looking into whether climate change is disrupting birds’ breeding seasons and food sources, which could diminish their populations.
