Rewilding projects are increasingly grappling with how to account for the welfare of individual animals, not just population and ecosystem metrics.
The rewilding movement has largely framed itself through the lens of ecological restoration, with individual animal welfare treated as secondary or irrelevant. This is beginning to change as welfare scientists engage with conservation practitioners. The argument that wild animals are "free" from welfare concerns is undermined by evidence that reintroduced animals suffer significantly during establishment, and that ecosystem function does not guarantee individual animal flourishing. Integrating welfare thinking into rewilding — monitoring individual animals, minimising capture and transport stress, addressing conflict humanely — can make these projects both ecologically and ethically stronger.