Wild animal suffering: An introduction

Abstract

Wild animals in their natural habitats experience extensive suffering from predation, disease, hunger, and other factors. Despite the prevalence and severity of wild animal pain, many people disregard this issue either due to ignorance or biases that portray animal life as idyllic. However, wild animal suffering is a moral concern because it involves sentient beings enduring great pain and harm. Furthermore, addressing this issue requires understanding reproductive strategies in nature, which leads to a high mortality rate among offspring. Investigating ways to mitigate suffering for animals in the wild, including both direct interventions and policy changes, can positively impact numerous animals and inspire new ethical considerations for the future of wild animal welfare. – AI-generated abstract.