Thousands of animals left without food, water after Geraneia blaze

Thousands of wild animals have been left without food and water after a fire in a nature conservation area west of Athens, environmentalists say.

Rescue associations have launched a campaign to help injured animals, burned or dehydrated from the blaze, providing food, water and first aid. 

The municipality of Vrilissia north of Athens said it initiated a drive to collect aid for the Anima nonprofit organization.

The fire broke out in the Geraneia mountains 90km west of the Greek capital last Wednesday, burning 27.4 sq miles of vegetation – most of it protected pine forests – by late Monday.

Activists said birds, hedgehogs, tortoises, foxes and wild boar died in the blaze which experts described as “the most destructive fire of the decade.”