Urban environments create novel welfare challenges for wildlife that has adapted to or colonised cities, requiring specific management and coexistence approaches.
Urban wildlife welfare is a growing concern as cities expand and wildlife communities adapt to human-modified environments. Urban foxes face mange, vehicle strikes, and human conflict. Urban badgers encounter road mortality and garden excavation conflicts. Urban deer enter built environments and sustain injury from fences, traffic, and unfamiliar obstacles. Urban raptors face lead poisoning from pigeon carcasses on city streets. The welfare interventions available in urban contexts are different from rural conservation management: humane conflict resolution, disease treatment access, road casualty response, and urban habitat management all contribute to better welfare outcomes for urban wildlife communities. Cities that invest in wildlife-friendly design create environments where animals can live alongside humans with lower welfare cost.