Forests are vital ecosystems sustained by complex interactions between plants, animals and fungi, providing essential services for life on Earth. In Portugal, forest fires are intensifying due to climate change, land abandonment and changes in forest composition, burning 120,000 hectares annually. Active reforestation is critical, but most burned areas regenerate naturally, relying on animals to disperse seeds and restore biodiversity. While these animals are replanting our forests for free, are we aware of how much it would cost us to lose their help?