Animal Welfare and Biodiversity Conservation Synergies

Animal welfare and biodiversity conservation share common goals and benefit from integrated approaches rather than siloed advocacy.

Key Facts

Conservation efforts that address animal welfare often achieve better outcomes than those that do not
Individual animal welfare is embedded in population conservation — you cannot have one without the other
Welfare-motivated donors represent a large potential funding pool for conservation
Some conservation methods have historically ignored individual welfare in favor of population metrics
Integrated welfare-conservation approaches are increasingly adopted by major conservation organizations

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare and biodiversity conservation have historically been treated as separate fields with different goals and constituencies. In practice, they are deeply integrated: populations are composed of individuals whose welfare shapes reproductive success and population dynamics, and conservation that ignores individual welfare misses fundamental drivers of population outcomes. The integration of welfare into conservation — through welfare monitoring, humane management methods, and advocacy for reduced human-wildlife conflict — achieves better outcomes for both populations and individuals.

What You Can Do

Support conservation organizations that integrate welfare into their approaches
Advocate for welfare considerations in conservation management planning
Donate to research on the welfare-conservation nexus
Share integrated welfare-conservation arguments with both welfare and conservation advocates
Engage with the evidence that welfare integration improves conservation outcomes