Wild Animal Initiative

wildanimalinitiative.orgCore Concepts: Wild animal welfare science — Wild Animal InitiativeWild animal welfare science focuses on understanding the subjective experiences of individual wild animals with the goal of improving their welfare.

22 Aug 2025

If we're connecting here for the first time and you're curious about what exactly wild animal welfare science is, this introductory blog post explains it. Related fields: #biology #ecology #ecoevo #ethology #animalbehavior #physiology #conservation

buff.lyGrants — Wild Animal InitiativeOur Research Grants and Fellowship Program are changing. Details will be announced mid-September. Sign up here to receive an email when the changes are announced.

The deadline to submit your EOI for our wild animal welfare research grants is fast approaching! Learn more and apply by October 31:

buff.lyInspiring systematic inclusion of individual affective states to enhance the quality of wild animal researchStudies on animals continue to attract criticism, often relating to not accounting for variation, for issues with data quality, reproducibility and generalisability, yet one source of variation…

Our new paper is out in @wildlifebiology.bsky.social! It shows how considering animal affective states can enhance the quality and utility of data collected in wildlife research. 🔗 buff.ly/MrBnYEx

We argue that accounting for affective states is a feasible step toward more robust, informative, and ethical research with wild animals, and should be considered standard good practice alongside evaluating familiar variables like sex, age, or dominance rank.

Learn more about the research: 🔗 buff.ly/MrBnYEx @janirecas.bsky.social

Our new paper is out in @wildlifebiology.bsky.social! It shows how considering animal affective states can enhance the quality and utility of data collected in wildlife research. 🔗 buff.ly/MrBnYEx

We then reviewed animal welfare science research, showing how different kinds of indicators can be used to evaluate welfare and infer affective states, and offering practical ways that differences in affect can be inferred by incorporating welfare assessment into studies.

We show how integrating welfare assessments into ecological and behavioral research also has the potential to support the 3Rs by reducing unnecessary repetition — increasing the amount learned from each animal and helping to identify welfare problems earlier.

Our new paper is out in @wildlifebiology.bsky.social! It shows how considering animal affective states can enhance the quality and utility of data collected in wildlife research. 🔗 buff.ly/MrBnYEx

Affective states influence how animals respond to treatments, conditions, and human activities, and can systematically alter outcomes — yet wildlife research rarely accounts for them.

We reviewed discussions of replication, bias, and rigor in animal research, arguing that differences in affect can generate unexplained variation and other problems.

Our new paper is out in @wildlifebiology.bsky.social! It shows how considering animal affective states can enhance the quality and utility of data collected in wildlife research. 🔗 buff.ly/MrBnYEx

Issues with data quality, reproducibility, and generality of findings have been highlighted in animal research. We argue that differences in individuals’ affective states may account for some of this variation.

buff.lyHow can we make sure wild animal welfare interventions have positive outcomes? — Wild Animal InitiativeIntervening in ecosystems can have unintended effects. Ensuring that interventions intended to improve the welfare of wild animals have positive outcomes will require careful monitoring.

Managing wildlife for welfare is a novel concept, and it's important to make sure interventions result in positive outcomes. We've so far identified three ways to monitor for this.

Call for proposals! We're accepting EOIs for our: 🔬 Research grants, which fund projects in wild animal welfare science 🤝 Fellowship Program, which provides mentorship for early-career researchers Learn more about criteria and submit your EOI by October 31:

buff.lyIntegrating welfare into coyote research and management — Wild Animal InitiativeIncorporating welfare dimensions into coyote research can fill knowledge gaps in urban ecology research and improve wildlife management strategies.

Urban coyote management has come a long way, but welfare may still be the missing dimension. Learn more 👇️

📣 Call for proposals! Wild Animal Initiative funds research that advances the field of wild animal welfare science. We're now accepting EOIs for grants ranging from $30k to $200k, plus applications for our Fellowship Program. Learn more about project criteria and submit your EOI by October 31:

buff.lyResults of our 2026 staff diversity survey — Wild Animal InitiativeAugust 12, 2026 Each year, our internal Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee conducts an anonymous survey of our staff’s diversity and feelings about what it’s like to…

11 Sept

ICYMI: We recently shared the results of our latest staff diversity and belonging survey. We welcome recommendations for how to measure and improve representation at WAI — get in touch with our JEDI Commitee if you have ideas!

wildanimalinitiative.orgSubscribe to monthly email newsletter — Wild Animal InitiativeSign up to receive updates about Wild Animal Initiative and the field of wild animal welfare science.

8 Sept

If you'd like to stay up to date on our work and developments in the field of wild animal welfare science, subscribe to our monthly newsletter. We'll send you an email about once a month with the latest highlights.

wildanimalinitiative.orgJoin our Research Community — Wild Animal InitiativeBecome a member of our community if you would like to engage researchers and practitioners around the world interested in understanding and improving the lives of animals in the wild.

4 Sept

Our free research community is an international network of 600+ wild animal welfare researchers and practitioners. By signing up, you'll get access to our member directory, listserv, opportunities board, and events calendar.

atmos.earthPuzzles, Treats, and Consent? The New Frontier in Wildlife Studies | AtmosFrom raccoons solving puzzle boxes to dogs leaving saliva samples, scientists are experimenting with less invasive ways to study wildlife.

31 Aug

Can wild animals consent to participating in scientific experiments? @jackmcgovan.bsky.social explores the "new frontier in wildlife studies" for @atmosmag.bsky.social — featuring research by WAI's @meekl.bsky.social, grantee Lauren Stanton, and a snippet from @wildanigraham.bsky.social.

wildanimalinitiative.orgStreet smarts and bold behaviors: How humans and urban environments influence the welfare of wild mesocarnivores — Wild Animal InitiativeGrantee: Lauren Stanton Institution: University of California, Berkeley Project summary This project will evaluate the welfare impacts of urban landscapes and human-wildlife conflict…

31 Aug

Learn more about Lauren's WAI-funded research: www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grantees/lau...

sites.google.comFAT MARMOT WEEKAbout Fat Marmot Week The largest of the true hibernators, marmots bulk up all summer to survive the winter. Fat Marmot Week is an opportunity to get folks excited about yellow-bellied marmots, one of...

26 Aug

Have you voted for the fattest marmot yet? 👀 Our grantees Dan Blumstein and Emily Renkey — of @uclaioes.bsky.social and #OnlyMarms fame — have launched #FatMarmotWeek to support the Marmot Project at @rmblscience.bsky.social. Voting is open this week only! Choose your marmot! 👇️

wildanimalinitiative.orgDoes DNA methylation reflect environmental and social adversity? — Wild Animal InitiativeGrantee: Daniel T. Blumstein Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Project summary This project will investigate the welfare effects of early cumulative adversity in free-living...

26 Aug

Daniel and Emily's research on marmot welfare is supported by WAI and carried out at @rmblscience.bsky.social, where the larger Marmot Project has been running since 1962. Learn more about their WAI-funded welfare project: www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grantees/dan... And about RMBL: www.rmbl.org

wildanimalinitiative.orgResults of our 2026 staff diversity survey — Wild Animal InitiativeAugust 12, 2026 Each year, our internal Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee conducts an anonymous survey of our staff’s diversity and feelings about what it’s like to…

23 Aug

As part of our commitment to fostering inclusion and equity at Wild Animal Initiative, we conduct an annual survey on staff diversity and belonging. Now on our blog, you can read about our 2026 results. 👇️

buff.lyAI-assisted animal language translation — Wild Animal InitiativeMay 31, 2025 Every animal welfare scientist has probably thought at some point in their career, “My job would be a lot easier if the animals could just tell me how they’re feeling.” The new — and…

20 Aug

Research efforts to "decode" animal communication systems are booming. But what might listening in on — and even talking to — wild animals mean for their welfare?

buff.lyThe representation of veterinarians in wild animal welfare science — Wild Animal InitiativeVeterinarians have a lot to offer the field of wild animal welfare science, but research training and opportunities are essential.

17 Aug

How well represented are veterinarians in wildlife research, and wild animal welfare science in particular? A new study by @meekl.bsky.social explores these questions.

We’re overhauling our grant types! We’ve funded lots of exciting projects over the past five years. Now, we want to see more projects build on each other, and we want to provide a clearer pathway for grantees interested in continued support for their wild animal welfare research programs. 🧵

Welfare Ecology Grants are intended to help wild animal welfare scientists better understand the ecological "levers" influencing welfare so strategies can be devised to improve wild animal welfare. We plan to roll out a further grant type focused on that translational step in 2027.

More details on our upcoming CFP to come in September. Watch this space or join our research community to hear about it!

🔬 Validation Grants (up to $200k) These projects help map out the range of welfare states that are consistent with proposed welfare indicators by studying how those indicators respond when animals are exposed to conditions expected to induce positive or negative valence.

wildanimalinitiative.orgHow to measure wild animal welfare — Wild Animal InitiativeWild animal welfare scientists use a variety of metrics and indicators to find out about the subjective experiences of individual wild animals. These are some examples.

🌿 Welfare Ecology Grants (up to $200k) These are the core of wild animal welfare science, supporting research to explore the relationship between welfare and other ecological parameters and processes based on a detailed plan for welfare assessment. (More on assessing welfare 👇️)

Ahead of our upcoming call for proposals this autumn, here's an introduction to our new grant types:

@cornishjackdaws.bsky.social

🌱 Seed Grants (up to $30k) The purpose of a Seed Grant is to generate justified hypotheses, through observational or pilot studies, to later test through our more advanced grant types. For example, a project could identify candidate welfare indicators to subsequently validate.

Wild Animal Initiative reposted

Cornish Jackdaw Project

12 Aug

The special issue is out, including our contribution: "Social information about affective states in a human-altered world." Led by @lucahahn.bsky.social, @jackdawjordan.bsky.social & @margauxvanhussel.bsky.social. tinyurl.com/hyhfvmjn. @wildanimals.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social.

tinyurl.comSocial information about others' affective states in a human‐altered worldFaced with anthropogenic change, animals now encounter challenges different from their evolutionary past. To cope with such challenges, animals may use social information about others' affective stat...

Journal of Animal Ecology@animalecology.bsky.social

🚨 new Special Feature! 📝 the collection, edited by David Fisher and Natalie Pilakouta, aimed to explore how organisms plasticly alter their social behaviour in response to environmental variation. 🐒 read the full collection here: buff.ly/iWJVFw5 🎙️ and listen to the podcast here: buff.ly/qGycB98

wildanimalinitiative.orgISAE coffee hour discussion — Wild Animal InitiativeAugust 14, 2026 | 10:30 am | Auditorium 2, Gautam Buddha University Convention Center, Greater Noida, India

10 Aug

We're excited to be at #ISAE2026 this week 🇮🇳 If you're here, join @janirecas.bsky.social for a discussion on wild animal welfare methods — Friday at 10:30 am. You can also catch her poster (tomorrow at the 3:15 pm session) and talk (Friday at 2:45 pm). @applied-ethology.bsky.social #ISAEcongress

6 Aug

Invertebrates make up most animal life on Earth, yet almost nothing is known about their welfare in the wild — or how to measure it. Funded by WAI, research by @cds-york.bsky.social will work towards developing a welfare assessment toolkit for wild insects. 🔗 Learn more: buff.ly/r5CuWvW

3 Aug

Veterinarians have a lot to contribute to wild animal welfare science, but they're not currently as well represented in the research as they could be. A new study by @meekl.bsky.social et al. digs into the details.

buff.lyHow to measure wild animal welfare — Wild Animal InitiativeWild animal welfare scientists use a variety of metrics and indicators to find out about the subjective experiences of individual wild animals. These are some examples.

31 July

Validating ways to assess wild animal welfare is one of our priority research areas. Since welfare can't be measured directly, we fund research that validates indicators of welfare that can be measured in free-living wild animals.

28 July

Managing wildlife to maximize individuals' welfare is a novel idea — so ensuring that wild animal welfare interventions are net positive will require careful monitoring. So far, we have identified three ways to approach this.👇️

buff.lySubscribe to monthly email newsletter — Wild Animal InitiativeSign up to receive updates about Wild Animal Initiative and the field of wild animal welfare science.

23 July

Don't miss our monthly updates! Click to subscribe to our newsletter and hear about the latest developments in wild animal welfare science.

20 July

🐸 Emerging evidence suggests that frog calls could offer rapid insights into welfare. Funded by WAI, research from @erin-wall.bsky.social's lab will help identify acoustic signatures of welfare and develop a rapid, non-intrusive welfare detection tool for thousands of species of vocalizing frogs.

buff.lyWavelength — Animal Communication ScienceDedicated to advancing animal communication science to inform our actions and improve welfare through innovation.

20 July

Learn more: 🔗 wavelengthscience.org 🔗 www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grantees/eri...

Our latest paper is out in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social! It’s an overview of the emerging field of wild animal welfare science. 🔗 buff.ly/hcIUr0g See 🧵 for some of the key points we make about the field, as well as opportunities, challenges, and research priorities.

buff.lybuff.ly

wildanimalinitiative.orgWild Animal InitiativeTo advance our understanding of wild animal well-being, our team conducts research and supports the growth of the wider research community.

Wild Animal Initiative works to accelerate progress in this emerging field. Explore our research, grants, and services: buff.ly/9LC9l2C

Read the full paper: buff.ly/hcIUr0g @zoophilosophy.bsky.social @wildanigraham.bsky.social @jeffsebo.bsky.social @miriamzemanova.bsky.social

buff.lybuff.ly

We argue that wild animal welfare science has both intellectual and applied value, advancing knowledge about how welfare affects animal behavior and ecological dynamics, and informing wildlife policy and management.

In terms of next steps, we argue that the field needs skilled researchers to begin filling knowledge gaps, validating welfare indicators that can be measured in free-ranging animals, and adapting wildlife research technologies for collection of welfare data (among other opportunities!).

buff.lybuff.ly

We define wild animal welfare science as the study of the welfare of wild animals across all habitats, seeking to understand the factors that influence their lives as they experience them.

We also define the field as sitting at the intersection of animal welfare science and ecology, expanding animal welfare research into wild contexts using field ecology methods and animal welfare science foundations.

clearskyscience.comQuantifying and categorising the animal welfare impacts caused by biological invasions · Clear Sky ScienceThe study introduces AWICIS, a framework that measures how invasive birds and ants cause physical and mental suffering in individual animals, highlighting severe impacts from invasive ants.

13 July

An excellent summary from Clear Sky Science on a new paper by Thomas Evans & Michael Mendl on the welfare impacts of biological invasions. We were excited to fund this research through our Grants Program. www.clearskyscience.com/en/10.1038/s...

13 July

Read the full paper in Nature Communications: www.nature.com/articles/s41...