Wild Animals

Light Pollution and Wildlife Welfare

Artificial light at night disrupts wildlife behaviour, physiology, and ecology across many species worldwide.

Key Facts

Light pollution has increased by over 2 percent annually globally over the past decade
Nocturnal animals including bats, moths, and hedgehogs are most severely affected
Sea turtle hatchlings navigate to the ocean by following the brightest horizon; light pollution disorients them
Migratory birds collide with illuminated tall buildings in enormous numbers during migration
Dark sky areas have been shown to recover wildlife populations once light reduction is achieved

Welfare Considerations

Light pollution causes both acute welfare harm (disorientation, collision, predation) and chronic welfare impairment (disrupted circadian rhythms, altered feeding, impaired reproduction) across many species. Reducing artificial light at night is achievable through targeted interventions in critical wildlife areas and general good lighting practice.

What You Can Do

Use motion-sensitive or directional lighting to reduce unnecessary light at night
Support your local authority in adopting dark sky policies in wildlife-sensitive areas
Turn off or reduce lights during bird migration seasons
Support dark sky reserves and advocate for light pollution reduction policies
Choose wildlife-friendly LED colours (warmer tones) over cool blue-spectrum lights