Mission & Values
Our mission is to accelerate science that helps wild animals.
Although the vast majority of animals live in the wild, we know very little about their quality of life or how to improve it. Scientific progress is desperately needed for us to understand which factors cause the most suffering for wild animals and how people can address those factors responsibly and effectively. That’s why we’re working to accelerate progress in the emerging field of wild animal welfare science.
A discipline focused on wild animal welfare will open doors to new scientific paradigms and ultimately help wild animals.
Theory of Change
Scientific progress is the primary factor that limits our ability to improve wild animals’ lives. There's still so much we don't understand about what their lives are like, and what conditions allow them to live those lives happily: How can welfare be assessed across different taxa? How can we predict and monitor interventions' effects on non-target species, or account for compensatory mortality? What are the most effective interventions?
Research questions like these have been severely neglected in the biological sciences, and progress is desperately needed. Answering some foundational questions about wild animal welfare will make it possible to address others, and the eventual implementation of progressively more ambitious interventions will raise applied questions — which might themselves expose important gaps in foundational knowledge. For these reasons, the field must be capable of sustaining itself well into the future.
Ultimately, the change we hope for is a world in which research informs policies and decisions that affect wild animals, with consideration for their welfare. As we bring more researchers into the field and they advance our understanding of wild animal welfare, we can start to close those knowledge gaps and identify safe and effective ways to improve the lives of wild animals. Research insights produced by the field will allow decision-makers to put in place policies that demonstrably improve wild animal welfare.
To foster the growth of this field, we conduct research, make grants, and provide services to scientists studying wild animal welfare.
Research
Producing original research to guide our work and catalyze academic conversations.
Grants
Funding scientists who study high-priority questions in wild animal welfare.
Outreach
Supporting the professional needs of researchers globally.
Values
Wild Animal Initiative’s core values are social equity, organizational transparency, and scientific rigor. Learn more about what these values mean and how we apply them in our work and strategy:
Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
We oppose all systems of oppression. We build diversity, equity, and inclusion into all of our activities and operations.
Transparency
We believe organizations should openly share information about their operations and effectiveness.
Rigor
To produce valuable scientific contributions to the field, we must approach our work with the highest standards.