Wolves are keystone predators whose reintroduction and recovery across Europe and North America brings ecological benefits but also conflicts with livestock farming that require careful welfare-conscious management.
Wolves involved in human-wildlife conflict face severe welfare consequences — lethal control, often applied in response to livestock depredation, involves methods (snaring, shooting, poisoning) that cause pain and suffering to individual animals. Even non-lethal deterrents involve disrupting natural wolf behaviour. Beyond individual welfare, the killing of breeding adults dissolves pack structures — leaving orphaned pups and disrupting the social bonds that are central to wolf wellbeing. Conservation approaches that prioritise non-lethal deterrents and fair compensation for livestock losses allow wolves and livestock farming to coexist, benefiting both animal welfare and biodiversity.