Wildlife is feeling the heat of rising global temperatures, and now the threat is joining habitat loss and overexploitation as part of a dangerous trifecta facing the world's animals.

What's happening?

A new study published in BioScience found pollution-driven climate shifts are "emerging" as a third major threat to wildlife around the globe. Rising global temperatures, habitat loss, and overexploitation, like hunting or poaching, are the three largest concerns for global ecosystems. Scientists are calling it a shift from "twin to triple threats," per a Phys.org report on the study.

"We may be approaching tipping points regarding the impact of climate change on Earth's animals," the study reads.

Researchers from Oregon State analyzed data on more than 70,000 animal species and found that 5.1% of the globe's wildlife is already threatened by pollution and rising global temperatures.

The researchers noted that this percentage is likely an underestimate, largely because many wildlife species remain understudied. Notably, while roughly 73% of vertebrate species have been assessed through the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, only 1.6% of invertebrate species have been evaluated — despite invertebrates making up the vast majority of animal biodiversity.

As Phys.org noted, the study highlighted striking examples of how rising global temperatures are harming wildlife, including the disappearance of more than 10 billion snow crabs from the Bering Sea since 2018, the deaths of 7,000 humpback whales in the North Pacific, and the loss of 4 million common murres, a seabird species, along the west coast of North America.

Why is this particular threat to wildlife important?

The study acknowledges that some species — such as jellyfish, bullfrogs, and various insects — may temporarily benefit from rising global temperatures.

However, the overall trend of planetary warming is overwhelmingly negative to wildlife, with the risk of mass mortality and ecosystem collapse rising sharply even with relatively small temperature increases. These climate-driven die-offs can unravel food webs, disrupt essential ecosystem functions, and trigger cascading impacts across habitats.

"We are entering an existential crisis for the world's wild animals," the study warns. "Increases in global temperature can lead to a variety of impacts on wild animals, including changes in their physiology, behavior, life cycle, distribution, and interactions among species."

And this assessment may only scratch the surface. According to the study, six major animal groups have at least 25% of their species at risk due to planetary warming, and many invertebrates haven't even been assessed to determine their standing. That means the crisis is likely more widespread than we realize, making immediate climate action essential not only for protecting individual species but for safeguarding the stability of entire ecosystems.

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What's being done about this threat to wildlife?

The researchers call for urgent climate action that prioritizes and supports wildlife. This includes improved monitoring of "climate-related mass mortality events," faster assessments of vulnerable and understudied species — particularly invertebrates — and integrating biodiversity protection into climate policy. The study emphasizes that without swift, coordinated action, many species and ecosystems could soon reach irreversible "tipping points."

Meanwhile, conservationists are constantly working to safeguard vulnerable species by protecting and restoring habitats, rehabilitating ecosystems, and developing strategies to help animals adapt to shifting climates. These local efforts are critical, but, as the study noted, they must be matched by global policy change.

Importantly, each individual action to combat rising global temperatures — from supporting clean energy to choosing sustainable products — is a small way to support the world's wildlife. And those small actions can add up to a big impact.

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