Wildlife Welfare

Wildlife Rehabilitation Success Rates: What the Data Shows

Understanding the outcomes of wildlife rehabilitation helps organizations improve protocols and make evidence-based decisions about treatment and release.

Key Facts

Release success rates vary enormously by species from under 20% to over 80%
Raptors released after treatment have documented long-term survival in many studies
Garden birds have lower rehabilitation success rates than larger species
Seal rehabilitation has well-documented success with many animals surviving to adulthood
Data collection on rehabilitation outcomes is improving but remains inconsistent globally

Welfare Considerations

Evidence-based wildlife rehabilitation requires honest assessment of when rehabilitation is likely to succeed versus when euthanasia is the most humane outcome. Organizations that track and publish outcome data can improve their protocols and make better decisions for individual animals. The welfare of animals in rehabilitation depends on honest assessment of prognosis rather than optimistic continuation of treatment with poor prospects.

What You Can Do

Support accredited wildlife rehabilitation organizations that collect and publish outcome data
Donate to organizations developing evidence-based rehabilitation protocols
Advocate for outcome reporting to be required of licensed rehabilitators
Engage with wildlife rehabilitation science to understand what factors predict success