Wild animals face predation, parasitism, starvation, disease, and harsh weather. Recognizing wild animal suffering as a welfare concern opens important philosophical and practical questions.
If moral concern extends to suffering wherever it occurs, then the vast majority of suffering is happening in nature, not in farms or laboratories. Predation involves terror and pain. Parasitism causes chronic suffering. Starvation is prolonged. Recognizing this does not imply immediate intervention, but it does expand the moral horizon of animal welfare.