Rewilding programs reintroduce extirpated species and restore ecological processes. The welfare of introduced animals and those affected by reintroductions deserves careful attention.
Rewilding represents an exciting conservation paradigm, but welfare considerations extend in multiple directions. Reintroduced animals face survival challenges in unfamiliar environments, often with high early mortality rates. The welfare of individual animals during translocation — capture, transport, holding, and release — can be significant if not carefully managed. Soft-release protocols that allow gradual acclimatization to new environments improve survival rates and reduce acute stress. The welfare of prey species affected by predator reintroduction is also morally relevant: elk that have not evolved with wolves exhibit naivety that initially increases predation vulnerability. Livestock producers whose animals are predated by reintroduced wolves or lynx suffer economically, and retaliatory killing of introduced predators has welfare and conservation consequences. Welfare-inclusive rewilding planning addresses all these dimensions.