Rewilding projects that restore natural processes and lost species can significantly improve wild animal welfare by recreating functional ecosystems where animals can meet their needs.
Rewilding improves wild animal welfare at multiple scales. Restored apex predators create trophic cascades that benefit prey species through improved vegetation structure and reduced overgrazing. Beaver-created wetlands provide habitat for dozens of species that lack it in degraded agricultural landscapes. The restoration of natural disturbance processes — fire, flood, browsing — creates the structural diversity that supports the highest wildlife densities and individual welfare. Rewilded landscapes give animals the opportunity to live full natural lives with access to appropriate food, shelter, and social environments.