Roe deer are highly territorial animals and territorial conflicts create welfare costs for individuals, particularly during the summer rut when competition for does is intense.
Roe deer territorial conflicts represent natural sources of individual suffering that are exacerbated by habitat fragmentation. Territorial fights during the rut cause lacerating antler wounds that can become infected, causing prolonged suffering. Road mortality during dispersal kills animals that in undisturbed conditions would successfully establish new territories. Habitat fragmentation that concentrates deer populations in small patches intensifies territorial competition and its associated welfare costs. Conservation planning that maintains habitat connectivity reduces dispersal road mortality and territorial overcrowding, directly benefiting individual roe deer welfare.