Greek wildlife burned alive by wildfires

A badly burned tortoise that survived a Greek wildfire wriggles in an Athens animal clinic despite lots of painkillers, one of the latest victims of climate change that is playing havoc with the country's wildlife.

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Athens -

Most of the scorched scales on its back had to be removed with forceps.

"It was really depressed and had its mouth open trying to breathe because of the smoke" when volunteers brought it in, said vet Grigorios Markakis.

Even though "it's much better" now, the prognosis is not good, he said. "If the whole shell is burned, imagine what happened inside... All the internal organs will be dysfunctional."

Markakis cares for orphaned, injured or sick creatures, from hedgehogs to snakes to storks, from a first aid station of the Greek wildlife protection group, Anima.