The Devastating Effects of War On Local Animal Populations

How many animals does war kill?

(Public domain)

War is a serious human tragedy. War kills indiscriminately and leaves entire communities in ruin. In the aftermath of major conflicts, people tend to focus on other people. That is understandable. What many don’t realize is the devastation that war has on local animal populations. War doesn’t just kill humans. It kills everything.

War often leaves millions of animals dead alongside thousands, if not millions, of humans. In some instances, war has driven breeds to the brink of extinction. Stocks of horses, cattle, and dogs were wiped out to nearly nothing in the wake of World War I and World War II. Concentrated efforts had to be undertaken after the wars to save certain breeds of both dogs and horses, which were teetering on the brink of extinction due to massive depopulation thanks to human warfare.

So, how many animals does war kill? A shocking number. While the data is hazy on the exact numbers, there are plenty of figures and anecdotes that can give us an idea of the scale of animal slaughter during war.

By The Numbers

The two world wars that devastated Europe killed tens of millions of animals. While exact figures are hard to pin down it is clear that cattle, horse and dog…