Wolf reintroduction programs in North America and Europe have restored ecosystems but created welfare tensions between wolves, livestock, and prey species. Understanding these tradeoffs informs better coexistence policy.
Wolf reintroduction involves welfare considerations for multiple parties: the wolves themselves, their prey, and the livestock they occasionally depredate. Wolves that are killed in livestock protection actions experience obvious welfare harms, but the disruption of pack social structures from such killings also causes ongoing welfare costs for surviving family members. Livestock killed by wolves suffer acutely. The welfare calculus favors coexistence approaches that prevent conflict before it occurs, using non-lethal deterrents that protect both wolves and livestock. The long-term ecological benefits of wolf recovery also reduce wild prey suffering by restoring predator-prey dynamics that select for healthy individuals.