Disease in wild animal populations causes immense suffering, and emerging disease threats from human activities require wildlife health interventions.
Disease causes massive welfare suffering in wild animal populations, and human activities including habitat encroachment, climate change, and invasive species introduction are accelerating wildlife disease emergence. White-nose syndrome, caused by an invasive fungus from Europe, has killed tens of millions of North American bats. Chronic wasting disease spreads through deer populations with 100% fatality. Avian malaria, introduced via domestic birds, has driven multiple Hawaiian bird species to extinction. These diseases cause both population-level conservation harm and individual-level welfare suffering. Wildlife disease management including vaccine deployment, captive breeding, and habitat management can reduce suffering and prevent extinctions.