Core Concepts: Wild animal welfare science

This piece is part of our Core Concepts series, which introduces key topics in wild animal welfare.

May 24, 2023

Wild animal welfare science focuses on understanding the subjective experiences of individual wild animals with the goal of improving their welfare. This multidisciplinary science dwells at the intersection of fields such as ecology, animal welfare science, ethology, and philosophy of mind. People who study wild animal welfare science seek answers to questions such as, “What are wild animals’ lives like?”, “How can we measure wild animal welfare?”, and “What can we do to improve the lives of wild animals?”

By asking questions that address animal well-being, wild animal welfare science can also identify practical solutions that improve the welfare of free-living animals, based on the moral position that people should help when they can. Before determining how solutions can be applied, scientists must gain a fundamental understanding of wild animal welfare and the effects that interventions may have on non-target individuals. 

In this context, “wild” refers to free-living animals in undeveloped environments, as well as urban and other human-dominated landscapes. Many welfare interventions designed for captive animals, such as enrichment activities, don’t apply directly to wild animals, requiring the investigation of new interventions. Wild animal welfare science investigates interventions that address human-caused harms (e.g., pollution, habitat destruction) and natural harms (e.g., disease, starvation).

Additionally, “welfare” in this context means the subjective mental state of individual animals who have positive or negative experiences. While welfare is a phenomenon that only individuals experience, wild animal welfare science looks at interactions on larger scales, such as between individuals and at the population, trophic, and ecosystem levels. This can reveal net welfare effects and tradeoffs to entire communities. 

Wild animal welfare science shares certain features with conservation biology, but it’s important to note that they are distinct areas of study. Both interdisciplinary sciences are mission-driven and include fundamental and applied research components related to animals living in the wild. However, conservation often focuses on management of species and populations, emphasizing the importance of numbers of animals. Welfare focuses on the condition and subjective experience of the individual, emphasizing the importance of well-being of individuals within the population. 

The complexity of these topics means that scientists must come from varying disciplines to work together and build a foundational body of research. Wild Animal Initiative supports scientists interested in studying wild animal welfare by providing grants, offering services, and conducting internal research.