Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release Success

Wildlife rehabilitation aims to return injured and orphaned animals to the wild, but release success rates vary significantly by species and condition, raising important welfare questions.

Key Facts

Release success rates for rehabilitated wildlife vary from below 10% for some raptor injuries to over 80% for others
Post-release monitoring is conducted in fewer than 30% of wildlife rehabilitation cases
Inappropriately imprinted animals cannot be released and require lifetime care
Quality of rehabilitation significantly affects both welfare during care and survival post-release

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife rehabilitation welfare encompasses both in-care welfare and the quality of post-release outcomes. Animals that survive rehabilitation but die quickly in the wild have experienced care-induced suffering without welfare benefit. This underlines the importance of pre-release assessment and post-release monitoring to evaluate rehabilitation effectiveness. Euthanasia of animals unlikely to survive or with irremediable suffering is an important welfare option that requires clear decision frameworks. Well-run rehabilitation centres with species expertise and clear release criteria achieve the best welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife rehabilitation centres with donations or volunteer time
Learn the difference between animals that need rescue and those better left alone
Contact your local rehabilitator before intervening with found wildlife
Advocate for post-release monitoring requirements in rehabilitation centre standards