Rewilding projects aim to restore ecological processes and biodiversity, but must consider welfare impacts on both reintroduced animals and existing wildlife communities.
Rewilding raises important welfare questions that often receive insufficient attention amid the conservation focus. Reintroduced animals face the stress of translocation, adaptation to new environments, and establishment of territories - all of which carry welfare costs in the short term. Animals displaced by returning predators experience changed behaviour patterns that may involve chronic stress from elevated vigilance. However, the long-term welfare benefits of restored ecological function - including natural population regulation, diverse habitat structure, and ecosystem services - may outweigh short-term welfare costs. Welfare assessment should be integrated into rewilding monitoring alongside ecological metrics.