Wild Vertebrates
~10^11 (100 billion) land vertebrates and ~10^12 (1 trillion) fish are alive at any time.
The Overlooked Majority
The Overlooked Majority
Wild animals vastly outnumber farmed animals. Conservative estimates suggest 1–10 trillion fish, quadrillions of insects, and billions of birds live and die each year in nature. Most die young from starvation, disease, or predation.
1–10T
Fish in the wild (estimated)
Quadrillions
Insects and other invertebrates
Billions
Birds alive each year
The scale is massive, and the typical life is often short and harsh.
The Scale
Wild animal welfare may be the largest source of animal suffering on Earth, even if our uncertainty is high.
r/K Selection
Most species are r-selected: they reproduce in massive numbers where most offspring die quickly.
Tomasik Estimate
Brian Tomasik argues the average wild animal life may involve net negative welfare.
High Uncertainty
This is deeply uncertain, but if true it represents an enormous source of suffering.
Types of Wild Animal Suffering
The dominant harms are widespread, intense, and often unavoidable.
Predation
Painful deaths by predators are common across ecosystems.
Starvation
Most wild animal offspring starve to death due to resource scarcity.
Disease and Parasites
Infections and parasites are ubiquitous in wild populations.
Harsh Weather
Exposure, drought, cold, and natural disasters drive mass mortality.
Injuries
Injuries often result in slow, painful deaths without medical care.
The Research Frontier
The field is young, with a focus on careful measurement and low-risk interventions.
Wild Animal Initiative (WAI)
The primary organization conducting rigorous research on wild animal welfare.
Key Questions
Do invertebrates suffer? How can we measure wild animal welfare reliably?
Potential Interventions
Fertility control for r-selected species, wildlife contraception, habitat improvements.
Early Stage
Very early stage — most research is theoretical and aims to avoid harm.
What You Can Do
Back Contraception Research
Support humane population control research for r-selected species.
How to giveAdvocate for Policy Attention
Encourage policymakers and funders to take wild animal welfare seriously.
Advocacy guideImportant Caveats
Deep Uncertainty
Wild animal welfare is contested and hard to measure.
Unintended Consequences
Interventions could backfire without careful modeling.
Research First
Most experts recommend caution before large-scale interventions.
Long-Term Cause Area
This is a long-term effort, not a quick fix.