What we know about stingray pain and stress, and how research and tourism activities affect their welfare in wild and managed settings.
Stingray welfare in high-contact tourism settings is a documented welfare concern. Animals showing chronically elevated stress hormones are experiencing sustained physiological impairment even if behavioral habituation masks acute distress responses. Research into elasmobranch cognition and pain is rapidly advancing and supports increasing precautionary welfare attention for this group. Tourism operators and researchers working with stingrays should adopt the same welfare principles applied to other wildlife: minimize handling, avoid aversive procedures without analgesia, and prioritize the animal's interests alongside human objectives.