Recent research
Wild Animal Initiative works to understand and improve the lives of wild animals.
Research is one of our core programs: Publishing peer-reviewed papers to increase wild animal welfare knowledge and establish foundations for other researchers to build upon.
Recent publications
Welfare implications of injuries and deformities in wild fish
Eckerström Liedholm, S. (2026). Welfare implications of injuries and deformities in wild fish. Animal Welfare, https://doi:10.1017/awf.2026.10083
Considering affective state as a central component of the response of animals to environmental changes
Beaulieu, M. (2026). Considering affective state as a central component of the response of animals to environmental changes. Biology Letters, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0424
Inspiring systematic inclusion of individual affective states to enhance the quality of wildlife research
Castellano Bueno, J., Elliott, V. (IN PRESS). Inspiring systematic inclusion of individual affective states to enhance the quality of wildlife research. Wildlife Biology
Symposium review: Wild animal welfare is in our backyards
Flint B.F., Daversa, D.R., Hopkins, M.C., Wright-Lichter, J.X. (2026). Symposium review: Wild animal welfare is in our backyards. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America e70072 (conference symposium summary) https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70072
Ready to go wild? Factors affecting the representation and contribution of veterinarians in a selection of wildlife-oriented research disciplines
Beaulieu, M., et al. (2026). Ready to go wild? Factors affecting the representation and contribution of veterinarians in a selection of wildlife-oriented research disciplines. Research in Veterinary Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106229
Additional publications of interest
Bye-bye bycatch: a remotely closing trap for targeted songbird capture
Flint, B. F., & Vernasco, B. J. (2025). Bye-bye bycatch: a remotely closing trap for targeted songbird capture. Journal of Field Ornithology, https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00744-960408
Rehabilitating wild animal welfare: A focus on veterinary rescue and rehabilitation interventions
Beaulieu, M. (2025). Rehabilitating wild animal welfare: A focus on veterinary rescue and rehabilitation interventions. Research in Veterinary Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105582
The emerging field of wild animal welfare science
Elliott, V., et al. (2026). The emerging field of wild animal welfare science. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.003
Our Library
Explore research notes, preprints, and other reports on our Library page.
Our researchers
Meet our team of researchers and find their published works.
The field
Review our list of research questions relevant to wild animal welfare from across a variety of disciplines