Large-scale rewilding projects reintroduce apex predators and herbivores to restore ecosystem function - welfare monitoring of reintroduced animals is an essential but sometimes neglected component.
Rewilding welfare monitoring requires treating reintroduced animals as individuals whose welfare matters during and after the establishment period. Animals released into unfamiliar environments face challenges that affect their welfare - learning to hunt or find food, establishing territories, navigating novel landscapes. Post-release monitoring that tracks individual animal condition, movement patterns and survival addresses welfare as well as conservation outcomes. Some rewilding projects prioritise population-level ecological outcomes without adequate individual welfare consideration. Best practice combines population monitoring with individual welfare assessment, particularly for top predators that may face starvation or injury during establishment.