Rewilding and the Welfare of Prey Animals

Rewilding programmes reintroduce predators and restore natural ecosystem dynamics, which raises welfare questions about the experiences of prey species. How should we think about welfare in rewilded landscapes?

Key Facts

Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone increased predation on elk but also changed elk behaviour
Fear of predation causes chronic stress in prey species even without physical attack
Rewilded landscapes with natural predators select over time for healthier, more alert prey populations
The absence of predators has allowed some prey populations to grow until disease and starvation cause mass suffering
Rewilding generally opposes management killing of prey in favour of natural regulation

Welfare Considerations

The welfare of prey in rewilded ecosystems involves genuine tension. Individual prey animals experience fear, injury, and distress from predation. However, without predators, prey populations grow until limited by disease, starvation, and chronic physical decline. A managed ecosystem without predators involves different welfare costs — these are chronic and widespread rather than acute and individual. The welfare argument for rewilding is not that predation is good for prey, but that the aggregate welfare of prey populations may be better when natural ecological dynamics, including predation, are restored.

What You Can Do

Engage with the nuanced welfare arguments in rewilding debates rather than simple for/against positions
Support rewilding organisations that take welfare of all species seriously
Donate to ecological research on prey animal behaviour and welfare in rewilded habitats
Advocate for evidence-based wildlife management policies
Read widely on the ethics of predation and wild animal welfare to develop a considered position