Raptors injured by vehicle strikes, power lines, and poisoning can be successfully rehabilitated and released with appropriate care, though standards vary widely between facilities.
Raptor rehabilitation welfare requires honest assessment of prognosis at admission and throughout recovery. Raptors are efficient, specialized hunters that cannot survive in the wild without full flight capability - a standard that must be honestly applied rather than relaxed out of attachment to individual animals. Welfare-appropriate rehabilitation includes appropriate pain management during treatment, minimizing human contact to prevent imprinting, and rigorous flight assessment before release. The welfare of long-term resident raptors in rehabilitation centers that cannot be released requires careful enrichment and housing standards. The welfare case against lead ammunition is particularly strong given the scale of secondary poisoning.