Urban expansion creates novel welfare challenges for wildlife including light pollution, noise, food insecurity, and increased predation by domestic animals.
Wildlife in urbanizing landscapes experiences a complex mix of opportunity and threat. Some species exploit abundant food resources and milder temperatures in cities, but often at welfare cost: artificial light disrupts sleep and navigation, traffic noise masks communication, and domestic predators cause injury and death. Habituation to humans creates additional risks from intentional or accidental feeding and direct harm. Urban ecology and animal welfare fields increasingly recognize the need to design cities that accommodate wildlife welfare alongside human needs.