Predation in nature causes suffering that is often ignored in welfare discussions focused on human-caused harm, raising complex questions about intervention.
Wild animal suffering from predation is the inconvenient reality at the heart of wild animal welfare philosophy. If we take animal suffering seriously wherever it occurs, we cannot ignore the fact that billions of prey animals experience fear, pain, and traumatic death from predators every day. This does not mean humans should intervene in natural predation — ecological arguments against interference are strong and the risks of unintended consequences are real. But it challenges simplistic assumptions that nature equals welfare and human activity equals harm.