Wildlife rehabilitation aims to return injured and orphaned animals to the wild, but success depends on realistic assessment of releasability and survival prospects.
Wildlife rehabilitation occupies a complex welfare space. For individual animals, intervention can alleviate acute suffering and restore the possibility of a wild life. However, not all animals can be successfully rehabilitated, and prolonged captivity for animals that cannot be released raises welfare questions. Good rehabilitation practice requires honest assessment of releasability, preparation for wild living including appropriate wild behavior, and monitoring of outcomes. Preventing wildlife casualties through habitat protection and hazard reduction addresses problems at scale.