Wildlife Welfare Research Articles

The Welfare of Free-Living Wild Animals in Europe: Harm Caused by Human Activities

AbstractAs part of a study into the effects of human activities on the welfare of free-living wildlife, the relative scale and severity of welfare problems in wild mammals and birds in Europe were investigated. Major cases were described and compared in terms of the nature and level of harm (pain, stress and fear) they cause, the duration of these effects and the number of individuals affected. The use of anticoagulant rodenticides, myxomatosis in rabbits, the poisoning of wildfowl by ingested lead shot, the contamination of seabirds with fuel oil, the effects of shooting, injuries due to collisions with road traffic and prédation by domestic cats all severely compromise the welfare of large numbers of animals. Practical approaches to the alleviation and prevention of some of these welfare problems are discussed. We suggest that in assessing the environmental impact of new developments and technologies prior to their implementation, possible consequences to wildlife welfare should always be considered.

Wildlife Biology proudly presents…

… its first issue! Wildlife Biology was born after long and heated debate within the Nordic Council of Wildlife Research, the joint body representing the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Professor Ingemar Ahlén tells us more about the »prehistory« of this journal after the Editorial. We aim to produce a journal in the forefront of wildlife science, research, administration, management and conservation. We want to offer a new journal to a wide readership. There is no forum in the Nordic countries or Europe giving comprehensive coverage of all that is happening in the world of wildlife and game. Wildlife scientists and researchers have waited for decades for a journal of their own. Most administrators and game managers do not even try following up wildlife articles published in scientific journals, because nonscientist professionals cannot cope with their complexity and variety. We are trying to develop Wildlife Biology to meet also the standards of the reader who cannot afford the time and the money to glance through numerous journals. This goal is extremely ambitious, especially when maintaining high scientific standards is unquestionably the most important task of Wildlife Biology. The high standard is guaranteed by our qualified staff: I can take pride in our team of Associate Editors; I know how the staff in the Editorial Office devote themselves to the success of the journal; and I trust in the unselfish work of leading scientists acting as referees. Every manuscript undergoes critical examination, and only those introducing important new progress are accepted. We want to promote scientific wildlife management by publishing articles and ideas from different fields of research. We will not restrict ourselves only to articles based on a firm theoretical foundation and experimental work. In wildlife science we are not striving to advance theory alone, but must persuade theory to serve practice, i.e. to enhance the management and welfare of wildlife. This means that we shall also publish purely descriptive papers; however, they should be important high-quality contributions in their particular research fields. Wildlife research is like a jigsaw puzzle; every single piece is important when aiming to complete the figure, and missing only a few pieces may lead to gross misinterpretations. Likewise, it is totally illogical to manipulate any wildlife species or its environment without first knowing the long-term effects of these efforts on the life-history of the species in question or on wildlife in general. Many wildlife species are rare or threatened, so it is often a very arduous job to collect pertinent data. Accordingly, it may not be wise to use rare animals as study objects when developing ecological theories; instead, a competent researcher should carefully select the most suitable species needed. Personally, I would like to see included in Wildlife Biology results from management experiments, which have never been very common especially in wildlife ecology. Habitat and/or predator manipulation experiments, comparative studies on the effects of varying hunting yields etc., would be most welcome in the journal. It is easy to understand the paucity of these studies, because the areas needed are extraordinarily vast due to the large home ranges and small numbers of wildlife species; organising these experiments becomes extremely expensive, although absolutely necessary. The Nordic Council of Wildlife Research is responsible for publishing this journal, but the forum offered by Wildlife Biology is open to anyone in wildlife research: we wish to attract ecologists, physiologists, geneticists etc. from all parts of the world to present their ideas and results to our readership. The first reactions have been most encouraging. We know that there is a strong demand for Wildlife Biology and it will surely find its niche in the jungle of scientific publications.

The Welfare of Free-Living Wild Animals: Methods of Assessment

AbstractIn assessing the relative merits of farm animal production systems or research procedures using live animals, the impact on the welfare of the animals involved is increasingly being taken into account. Many human activities and human-induced environmental changes can, similarly, adversely affect the welfare of free-living wild animals. As part of a study to investigate the ways in which, and the extent to which this occurs, we considered methods for the assessment of wildlife welfare. Although it is widely accepted that animals can experience and suffer pain and stress, there are difficulties in measuring the intensities of these states (and continuing debate about the terminology and meaning of these and related concepts as applied to animals). In attempting to scale the degree of harm in the various cases examined, a number of factors need to be considered, including: the nature of the harm caused its duration, the numbers of animals affected and their capacity for suffering. We explored ways of quantifying these. The study was undertaken to provide a basis for prioritizing actions to alleviate existing wildlife welfare problems and for assessing the possible wildlife welfare impact of future environmental changes or changes in industrial, agricultural and other practices.

Veterinary education for wildlife conservation, health and welfare

Veterinary education for wildlife conservation, health and welfare

Interventions for wildlife health, conservation and welfare.

Environmental changes induced by the activities of the increasing human population are likely, through effects on both hosts and infectious agents, to alter the patterns of incidence of diseases of wildlife. These changes may affect the conservation status or welfare of some populations. There is a need for investigations into causes of wildlife mortality incidents and for assembling information on these to assist in guiding responses to incidents in the future. Increasingly, interventions are made for the conservation or welfare of free-living wild animals and veterinary involvement in these ventures is important.

Methods for population control within a silver gull colony.

Silver gulls can threaten the welfare of humans and other wildlife. Current superabundant gull numbers should be managed to reduce this risk. Denying gulls access to food at artificial sites, combined with direct population control, may reduce silver gull numbers in the long term. Control measures implemented at gull colonies overseas were trialled. Human disturbance in the colony associated with routine visits to study plots led to reduced nesting density. Egg-pricking reduced nesting success; it did not induce adults to incubate for extended periods even though gulls were recorded sitting on nonviable (although not pricked) eggs for up to 76 days. Removal of eggs from nests within experimental plots did not affect overall nesting success for these plots. Habitat modification, by mowing of long grass at the colony site prior to the commencement of breeding, decreased both the density of nests in mowed areas and nesting success. Selective culling of breeding adults from experimental plots was effective in reducing population size immediately and suppressed nesting by other individuals that attempted to breed later in the breeding season. The combination of habitat modification, culling and human disturbance reduced breeding success at colonies.

AVMA Animal Welfare Forum: the veterinarian's role in the welfare of wildlife

AVMA Animal Welfare Forum: the veterinarian's role in the welfare of wildlife

The veterinarian's role in the welfare of wildlife

The veterinarian's role in the welfare of wildlife

Planning for avian wildlife in urbanizing areas in American desert/mountain valley environments

Residents in western American states are expressing a growing interest in wildlife-oriented recreation in the urbanized environment. Unfortunately, present development practices which convert rural land to urban use, often under the guidance of landscape architects and planners, have caused the displacement of many wildlife species. Vegetation management in urban areas has produced equally detrimental effects on urban wildlife. The net result has been a decline in overall urban wildlife species diversity. Landscape architects, planners, urban foresters and others involved in land conversion and vegetation management have a tremendous opportunity to improve the quality of urban wildlife habitat and to benefit the growing number of urban wildlife enthusiasts. However, to do so the planning and design pofessions must appreciate the value of urban wildlife, become aware of wildlife welfare needs and incorporate wildlife as a significant factor in the design process. General wildlife welfare needs are discussed and recommendations regarding ways to integrate wildlife as a factor in traditional planning and management decision making processes are presented. Specific recommendations for wildlife habitat preservation, enhancement and rehabilitation are provided.

Evaluation of Fertilizer on Pronghorn Winter Range in Alberta

Evaluation of Fertilizer on Pronghorn Winter Range in Alberta