Tracking wild animals provides invaluable conservation data but the methods used — capture, tagging, and monitoring — carry welfare costs that must be carefully managed and minimised.
Wildlife tracking generates data that informs conservation decisions affecting thousands of animals, but each tagged individual bears a welfare cost from capture and tag application. The ethical framework for tracking research must weigh expected conservation benefit against welfare cost in a way that is transparent and genuinely accountable. Best practice minimises capture-related stress through appropriate anaesthesia and handling protocols, uses the smallest tag sufficient for the research purpose, and plans for tag retrieval or degradable materials where possible. Long-term welfare monitoring of tagged individuals — looking for signs of tag-related behaviour change, weight loss, or social exclusion — is increasingly included in research protocols. The field has made significant progress but ongoing improvement depends on research community norms and regulatory oversight.