How wildlife rehabilitation centers care for injured and orphaned wild animals, and the welfare considerations around rehabilitation, release, and euthanasia.
Wildlife rehabilitation sits at the intersection of individual animal welfare and conservation ethics. Caring for individual injured animals is a direct welfare intervention. But the process of capture, transport, treatment, and housing causes significant stress in wild animals with acute fear responses to humans. Decisions about euthanasia versus long-term captivity for non-releasable animals involve complex welfare tradeoffs. Best practice rehabilitation minimizes stress through species-appropriate housing, minimal human exposure, and prompt release where possible.