Population dynamics and animal suffering

Abstract

Most wild animals die shortly after coming into existence. This is due to predominant reproductive strategies that prioritize maximizing offspring quantity over individual survival rates. For a population to remain stable, on average only one offspring per parent survives to adulthood. Consequently, species with high numbers of offspring experience correspondingly high infant mortality. Even among species with low infant mortality and parental care, premature death remains common. Studies of deer, moose, sheep, and birds show that younger individuals often have higher mortality rates than adults. This widespread early mortality, combined with the likelihood of painful or frightening deaths in the wild, suggests that suffering prevails over positive wellbeing in wild animal populations. While natural causes of death might be perceived as morally neutral, the suffering experienced by wild animals is comparable to that of humans and domesticated animals, raising ethical concerns. – AI-generated abstract.