Wildlife rehabilitation - the care and recovery of injured and orphaned wild animals - requires consistent welfare standards to ensure it achieves its primary goal of returning animals to the wild.
Wildlife rehabilitation is ethically complex. The welfare of the individual animal being cared for must be balanced against the risk of creating habituated animals unsuitable for wild release. Unnecessary prolongation of care for unreleasable animals is itself a welfare concern. However, the primary welfare principle is clear: injured animals in human care deserve prompt pain relief, appropriate treatment, and housing conditions that minimise additional stress. The sector's uneven regulation means some animals receive excellent care while others suffer from well-intentioned but inadequate intervention. Professionalism, training, and adherence to published protocols dramatically improves outcomes.