Millions of wild animals are injured in urban environments annually — understanding when and how to intervene is critical to avoiding additional welfare harm.
Wildlife rescue has a welfare paradox at its core: intervening can cause acute harm (capture stress, inappropriate handling) even when motivated by welfare concern. Capture myopathy — a stress-induced syndrome causing muscle breakdown — kills deer, foxes, and birds that appear otherwise healthy after handling. Baby animals that appear "orphaned" are often simply waiting for parents who will not return while humans are present. However, genuine emergencies — animals with visible injuries, birds that have collided with windows — do require prompt action. The welfare principle is to minimize contact duration, use appropriate containment (dark box for birds, gloves for mammals), and transfer to a licensed rehabilitator as quickly as possible.