Alpine ibex and related species recovered from near-extinction through conservation, but now face new pressures from climate change, disease, and human disturbance.
Ibex welfare is shaped by the intersection of climate stress, disease, and human management decisions. Animals suffering from infectious keratoconjunctivitis become blind, lose body condition rapidly, and often die from falls or starvation — a prolonged welfare-significant decline. Climate change is compressing the high-altitude refuges ibex depend on, forcing range overlap with livestock and increasing disease transmission risk. Conservation management must weigh population health, individual welfare, and ecological integrity when designing interventions.