When wildlife conflicts with human interests, the standard response is often lethal control. Welfare-centred approaches seek non-lethal solutions that protect both human livelihoods and wild animal lives.
Animals killed in conflict situations may suffer acutely from poisoning, trapping, or shooting. Retaliatory killing is often indiscriminate — targeting a local population or social group rather than specific individuals responsible for livestock losses. Non-lethal deterrents prevent both the welfare harm of predation on livestock and the welfare harm of killing predators. Coexistence approaches that address root causes — adequate livestock protection, fair compensation, economic valuation of wildlife — provide lasting solutions that avoid the welfare costs of lethal control.