Fears for Donegal wildlife after gorse fires
Conservationists fear that gorse fires have affected hundreds of species of wildlife in Donegal.
Experts have begun to assess the environmental impact in several locations across the county.
Eimear McGee, a ranger from Dungloe, explained that thousands of hectares of bog land had been burned.
"Birds are in the middle of nesting season, so they're at a huge loss because such a vast area has been burned," she said.
"It's pure black, as lifeless as could be and we're just hoping for rain to come soon."
Ms McGee described the job of the Wildlife Service to calculate the damage and long-term effects as "overwhelming."
"The dominant species will recover first, becoming over-dominant and there won't be the same balance as there was before."