Meet our grantees

Wild Animal Initiative funds academic research on high-priority questions in wild animal welfare.

The goal of our grants program is to fund research that deepens scientific knowledge of the welfare of wild animals in order to better understand how to improve the welfare of as many wild animals as possible, regardless of what causes the threats to their well-being.

We showcase our grantees and their projects here and continuously update this page as new projects are added.

Challenge, Invertebrates, Least concern, Entomology, Population ecology, United States, 2022, Not published Wild Animal Initiative Challenge, Invertebrates, Least concern, Entomology, Population ecology, United States, 2022, Not published Wild Animal Initiative

Improving the welfare of farmland invertebrates

Grantee: Dr. Ruth Feber

Institution: University of Oxford

Project summary

In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), larvae are much more abundant and less mobile than adults. Larvae are therefore particularly vulnerable to negative stimuli, including starvation and disease. This project will use lepidopteran larvae as a model for auditing the welfare impact of agricultural activities on invertebrates. Juvenile stages of Lepidoptera are exposed to agricultural practices that have the potential to affect their welfare. To quantify these impacts, the study will extend the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) methodology to take into account the number of individuals affected by a specified action.

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Small, United States, Mammals, Vulnerable, Population ecology, Animal behavior, Ecological modeling, 2023, Not published Wild Animal Initiative Small, United States, Mammals, Vulnerable, Population ecology, Animal behavior, Ecological modeling, 2023, Not published Wild Animal Initiative

Drivers of welfare in American pikas (Ochotona princeps)

Grantee: Johanna Varner

Institution: Colorado Mesa University

Project summary

Pikas (Ochotona princeps) in alpine habitats have recently faced population losses and range retractions. Declines are most prominent in isolated mountain ranges with limited high-elevation habitat, like the La Sals, where pikas are consequently likely to experience lower welfare. This project will assess the welfare of pikas in the La Sals through patterns of survival, population demographics, physiological stress, body condition, ectoparasite load, and hydration. The researchers will also test hypotheses correlating these indicators to habitat quality, and investigate resource competition between pikas and mountain goats.

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Challenge, United States, Amphibians, Least concern, Physiology, Animal behavior, Herpetology, 2023, Not published Wild Animal Initiative Challenge, United States, Amphibians, Least concern, Physiology, Animal behavior, Herpetology, 2023, Not published Wild Animal Initiative

Does population density influence the welfare of wild newts?

Grantee: Luiza Figueiredo Passos

Institution: Liverpool John Moores University

Project summary

This project will explore how the welfare of the widespread great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) is influenced by population density. It will test the hypothesis that optimal conditions for population sustainability could be suboptimal at the individual level, and consequently negative for welfare. The researchers will study the welfare of newts in populations with varying densities throughout England. Welfare will be assessed using the Five Domains Model by collecting measures of health, behavior, and nutrition. Environmental parameters will also be collected to assess the relationship between habitat quality and welfare.

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