Wildlife rehabilitation saves thousands of animals annually, but welfare-centered triage ensures that rehabilitation efforts prioritize animals with realistic recovery prospects.
Wildlife rehabilitation exists to serve the welfare of injured wild animals, but welfare must guide all decisions within rehabilitation programs - including decisions about when not to rehabilitate. An animal undergoing weeks of treatment with a very low probability of release may accumulate more welfare harm from the rehabilitation process itself than it would from an immediate humane death. Triage protocols that honestly assess prognosis, based on species, injury type, and available facilities, serve animal welfare better than the instinct to 'always try.' Animals that cannot be released and cannot be humanely maintained in captivity should be euthanized - a welfare-positive outcome compared to prolonged captive existence. Wildlife rehabilitation at its best combines genuine welfare assessment with skilled treatment and realistic prognosis.