As rewilding projects expand across Europe and beyond, developing welfare monitoring frameworks for reintroduced and wild animal populations enables evidence-based management of individual wellbeing alongside ecosystem goals.
Rewilding projects have conservation goals but also welfare dimensions that deserve explicit monitoring and management. Reintroduced animals face elevated mortality from unfamiliar hazards, social disruption, and habitat adjustment challenges. Individual welfare monitoring during the establishment phase provides both a welfare management tool and evidence about reintroduction success that population counts alone cannot provide. Integrating welfare metrics into rewilding monitoring protocols is technically feasible and ethically important.