Wildlife

Wildlife Disease and Animal Welfare

Infectious diseases in wildlife populations cause significant suffering and welfare harm at both individual and population levels.

Key Facts

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis cause mass mortality events in rabbit populations
Chytridiomycosis is responsible for the decline of hundreds of amphibian species
Devil facial tumour disease affects Tasmanian devil populations
Wildlife disease management programs often lack welfare assessment
Vaccination and biosecurity can reduce disease spread in some wildlife populations

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disease causes immense suffering at the individual level through pain, debilitation, and protracted death. Management responses to disease outbreaks, including culling, trapping, and treatment programs, also carry welfare implications. Welfare-conscious disease management integrates the needs of individual animals alongside population-level conservation goals.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife health monitoring and disease surveillance programs
Avoid disturbing wildlife that may be disease reservoirs
Report sick or unusual wildlife to wildlife health networks
Support research into wildlife vaccination and welfare-friendly disease management
Raise awareness about the welfare dimension of wildlife disease