The suffering of wild animals from disease, starvation, predation, and parasitism represents an enormous welfare concern largely absent from mainstream animal welfare discourse and policy.
The scale of wild animal suffering is difficult to comprehend. Each year, billions of small mammals and birds die from starvation, predation, and disease. Acknowledging this suffering does not require intervening in nature, but it does require honest engagement with the scope of animal welfare concerns. Where human actions affect wild animal welfare — through habitat destruction, climate change, or pollution — we have clear obligations.