As wolf populations recover in Europe and North America, conflicts with livestock operations have intensified, creating welfare challenges for both wolves and the domestic animals they prey upon. Evidence-based conflict mitigation is essential for both conservation and welfare.
Wolf-livestock conflict creates welfare costs for multiple species. Livestock killed or injured by wolves experience acute suffering. Wolves killed in retaliation face violent deaths and the disruption of pack social structures - bereaved pack members show documented distress responses. The cycle of conflict and lethal control has been shown to destabilize packs, potentially increasing predation as experienced hunters are removed and replaced by less skilled pack members. Non-lethal deterrents address the conflict while avoiding welfare costs to either wolves or livestock. The welfare dimensions of this conflict are often absent from policy debates that focus primarily on economic and conservation considerations.