Wildlife Welfare

Wildlife Disease: Welfare and Population Impacts

Infectious diseases cause enormous suffering in wild animal populations, with some amenable to welfare-improving interventions.

Key Facts

White-nose syndrome has killed over 7 million bats in North America since 2006
Chytrid fungus has caused the extinction of at least 90 amphibian species
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease repeatedly emerges in new virulent strains
Avian influenza periodically causes mass mortality events in wild birds
Disease treatment in wild populations is technically challenging but possible in some contexts

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disease causes individual suffering and population collapse. Some diseases are directly amenable to welfare intervention: oral rabies vaccines have dramatically reduced fox rabies in Europe; probiotics can protect some amphibians from chytrid. The challenge is scaling interventions to the size of affected wildlife populations. Disease preparedness planning should include welfare impact assessment.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife disease research and monitoring organizations
Donate to amphibian conservation programs addressing chytrid fungus
Advocate for wildlife disease preparedness planning to include welfare provisions
Participate in wildlife disease monitoring schemes if available in your area