As cities expand and wildlife habitats shrink, interactions between humans and urban wildlife are increasing. Managing these interactions humanely reduces suffering for both animals and people.
Urban wildlife occupies a complex welfare space: these are wild animals living in human-shaped environments with novel hazards that evolution has not prepared them for. Rats killed by rodenticide die slowly from internal hemorrhage over days. Raccoons injured by vehicles often die slowly from infection. Birds stunned by window strikes may recover or may die from internal injuries. Coexistence approaches that reduce these hazards — wildlife crossings, bird-safe glass, rodenticide-free integrated pest management, secure waste management that reduces habituation — improve welfare for urban wildlife at scale. These interventions often also serve human interests by maintaining functional urban ecosystems including insect control by bats, rodent control by raptors, and seed dispersal by birds.