Welfare of Wild Animals in Invasive Species Control Programs

Invasive species control programs cause significant welfare harm to target animals through poisoning, trapping, and shooting, while aiming to protect native species and ecosystems.

Key Facts

New Zealand kills an estimated 23 million possums, rats, and stoats annually in invasive species control programs
1080 aerial poison drops cause deaths in non-target native species including kiwi and native lizards
Invasive animal welfare research has demonstrated that some widely-used killing methods cause prolonged suffering
Fertility control programs for some invasive species offer a less welfare-damaging alternative to lethal control
Target specificity of control methods varies enormously — some highly specific, others causing significant non-target harm

Welfare Considerations

Invasive species control programs create an unavoidable welfare tension: the suffering of controlled invasive animals against the suffering and extinction risk of native species they threaten. This tension is real and cannot be dissolved by ignoring either side. Welfare science applied to invasive species control focuses on minimizing the duration and intensity of suffering in target animals — through faster-acting toxins, more efficient killing traps, and where feasible, fertility control alternatives. Non-target harm is a welfare concern that deserves equal attention in program design.

What You Can Do

Support research into welfare-improved invasive species control methods including faster-acting toxins
Advocate for non-target impact assessments to be required in all invasive species control program approvals
Support the development of fertility control alternatives for invasive mammal species where feasible
Donate to organizations applying welfare science to invasive species management contexts