What is the value of wild animal welfare for restoration ecology?

Authored by former Wild Animal Initiative Staff Researcher Jane Capozzelli, Wild Animal Initiative Science Director Luke Hecht, and Samniqueka Halsey, Assistant Professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, this paper was published in March 2020 in Restoration Ecology.

Abstract

The restoration community continues to discuss what constitutes good environmental stewardship. One area of tension is the extent to which the well-being of wild animals should inform restoration efforts. We discuss three ways that the perspective of wild animal welfare can augment restoration ecology: strengthening people's relationship with nature, reinforcing biotic integrity, and reducing mechanistic uncertainty. The animal welfare movement elevates sentient animals as stakeholders and explores how environmental context directly impacts the well-being of individuals. Viewing wild animals through this lens may encourage people to think and act with empathy and altruism. Second, we incorporate animal welfare into the concept of biotic integrity for ecological and ethical reasons. Restoring ecosystem processes may enhance animal welfare, and vice versa. Alternatively, there may be a trade-off between these factors, requiring local decision-makers to prioritize between restoring ecosystem function and promoting individuals' well-being. We conclude by discussing how welfare can impact population recovery, thereby adding insights about mechanisms underpinning restoration objectives. Ultimately, restoration ecologists and proponents of wild animal welfare could enjoy a productive union.