Invasive species control programs often involve killing large numbers of animals, raising welfare questions about methods, scale, and the balance between native and invasive species.
Invasive species control methods including 1080 poison, aerial shooting, and trapping cause suffering in the animals targeted. 1080 poisoning causes a slow death over several hours. Yet the alternative — allowing invasive predators to eliminate native populations — causes widespread wildlife suffering. Welfare-optimal control seeks the most humane methods available while acknowledging the necessity of intervention.