Urban Wildlife Welfare: Living with Wild Neighbours

Urban environments are home to diverse wildlife populations that experience both benefits and risks from proximity to humans, with welfare implications for how cities are designed and managed.

Key Facts

Urban wildlife includes foxes, hedgehogs, raccoons, coyotes, raptors, corvids, and many other species that have adapted to city environments
Urban heat island effects can benefit some species through warmer winters but harm others through summer heat stress
Road traffic kills millions of urban wildlife animals annually, with hotspots often near parks and green corridors
Artificial light at night disrupts circadian rhythms, migration, and reproduction in many urban wildlife species
Supplementary feeding by residents affects urban wildlife behaviour, nutrition, and population dynamics in complex ways
Urban green space quality and connectivity significantly affects the diversity and welfare of urban wildlife populations

Welfare Considerations

Urban wildlife welfare is shaped by the cumulative design and management decisions of cities and their residents. Animals that have adapted to urban environments still experience suffering from traffic, pollution, light disruption, unsuitable food, and deliberate persecution. Urban foxes, hedgehogs, and birds benefit from supplementary feeding but can suffer from inappropriate food provision, garden chemical use, and habitat fragmentation that prevents access to natural food sources. The welfare of urban wildlife is a collective responsibility; individual garden management decisions aggregate into the quality of urban habitat across entire neighbourhoods. Evidence-based guidance on urban wildlife support, including appropriate supplementary feeding, wildlife-friendly garden design, and hazard reduction, enables residents to make positive differences to welfare outcomes for their wild neighbours.

What You Can Do

Create wildlife-friendly garden features including log piles, native plants, shallow water sources, and hedgehog highways
Drive at reduced speeds in residential areas and be alert for wildlife crossings particularly at dawn and dusk
Avoid using pesticides, herbicides, and slug pellets that harm wildlife directly or by removing their food sources
Provide appropriate supplementary food for urban birds and hedgehogs while avoiding inappropriate foods like bread
Engage with local wildlife groups to participate in monitoring and habitat improvement initiatives in your area