Rewilding projects reintroduce apex predators and keystone species to restore ecosystem function. The welfare implications for individual animals in rewilding deserve careful consideration alongside ecosystem benefits.
Rewilding raises complex welfare questions that conservation discourse often minimises in favour of ecosystem-level benefits. Individual animals reintroduced to unfamiliar environments face genuine welfare risks: translocation stress, predation, starvation during adaptation, and territory establishment conflicts. These individual welfare costs may be justified by the long-term population and ecosystem benefits of successful rewilding, but they should not be ignored or trivialised. Welfare-sensitive rewilding practice includes minimising translocation stress, post-release monitoring and health support, choosing optimal release conditions, and maintaining adaptation space rather than forcing rapid reintegration. The welfare of individual reintroduced animals is not opposed to rewilding goals but integral to its success.