The RSPCA’s concern about wild animals is based on how they are treated and whether human activity causes unnecessary suffering - rather than how many of a species there are. This means our perspective is animal welfare rather than conservation of endangered species. Welfare and conservation often overlap though. For example, trapping may cause suffering but if it is indiscriminate it could also affect rare species.

1. RSPCA
All About Animals
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Wildlife

2. The RSPCA’s concern about wild animals is based on how they are treated
and whether human activity causes unnecessary suffering - rather than
how many of a species there are.
This means our perspective is animal welfare rather than conservation of
endangered species. Welfare and conservation often overlap though. For
example, trapping may cause suffering but if it is indiscriminate it could
also affect rare species.

3. Broadly speaking, animals in their natural state that have not been
domesticated are considered ‘wild’.
For our purposes, this includes non-domestic animals in captivity,
whether kept as pets or for other reasons including entertainment,
and those living free in the environment. We cover a huge number of
species and individual animals – ranging from badgers in your garden
to birds nesting on sea cliffs to pet iguanas and zoo elephants!

4. As you might expect, it’s a huge challenge to
try to improve the welfare of such a large
number of animals and species! We work in
many different ways to encourage change,
using scientific information and practical
evidence to support our arguments.
Here’s a little look at some of the work we do:
 Raise awareness of wild animal welfare issues and provide information and advice.
 Work with, and try to influence, those who make important policy decisions about
wild animal welfare.

5.  Rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and injured wild animals at our wildlife centres and
conduct research to constantly improve our level of care.
 Develop and update detailed RSPCA protocols for the best possible rehabilitation
practices of all species cared for.
 Teach trainee inspectors wildlife-related aspects of work, including identification,
legislation and handling.
 Develop free educational resources about wild animal welfare, aiming to help teachers
and students examine and debate subjects.
 Support research into relevant welfare issues such as the control of moles or deer
vehicle collisions.
 Work internationally with both governments and non-governmental organisations, such
as providing training overseas on the rehabilitation of oiled birds and the identification
of freshwater turtles.

6. Here are just a few:
 Wild animals kept as pets.
 Wild animals used in performance.
 Management and control or culling of wildlife.
 Non-native species and their welfare impacts on native animals, such as grey and red
squirrels.
 Rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, and research into post-release survival.
 Wildlife trade, for example working with national and global organisations
including Wildlife and Countryside Link, SSN and CITES.

7. Commercial fishing
 As a welfare organisation, we’re concerned not only
by the scale of fish slaughter - a billion are caught
each year off the British coast alone - but also by the
way in which they die: crammed in nets, suffocated in
the air once landed or even gutted alive.
But with regret we acknowledge just how difficult it
is to make commercial fishing more humane –
harvesting fish on the high seas in wild weather does
not allow for the control that can be exercised in,
for example, a well-managed farming system.
 We do, however, expect commercially farmed fish to
be treated with the same degree of compassion as
any other sentient farmed animal. To this end, we've developed detailed welfare
standards for farmed Atlantic salmon, which are designed to ensure higher standards of
animal welfare for all fish kept according to the requirements.

8. By-catch
Aquatic animals can also die as a side effect of intensive fishing. Thousands of porpoises,
dolphins and other sea life are caught every year in nets used for fishing, suffering a slow
death. To find out more about cetacean (dolphins, porpoises and whales) by catch around
the UK, have a look at the by catch indicator in the latest edition of our report called The
Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK.
Persecution
Some aquatic and marine animals, particularly seals and predatory birds like cormorants,
are persecuted because fishermen claim they eat too many fish. Where such claims are
made, we will always thoroughly examine them. We look for proof of the real extent of
damage and that all humane alternatives have been thoroughly considered.

9. Pet trade
We don't believe it’s right to catch wild fish and other sea or freshwater animals for the pet
trade. Such animals suffer unacceptably high mortality during capture, transport, sale and
when kept in the wrong environment.
Pollution
Industrial pollutants poison animals in seas, rivers and lakes and animals are caught in spilt
oil that has either been carelessly dumped or accidentally leaked from shipwrecks. Litter
such as balloons, which can be mistaken by turtles and seals for jellyfish, can cause
significant damage or even death.

10. Most landscapes or habitats - even those that seem fairly natural, such as woodlands and
seashores - are now dominated by human activity. These activities can cause suffering or
affect wild animals in many different ways, either as a direct result or an unintended
consequence - or a bit of both.

11. Wild animals are kept in captivity for a variety of reasons and in a wide range of
environments, including in zoos, circuses, other performing environments and in people’s
homes as pets.

12. To care for any animal well takes time, money, interest and knowledge - not just to
prevent it suffering, but also to make sure it gets everything it needs, which is a legal
requirement under the Animal Welfare Act.
Giving animals, especially wild ones, what they need can prove a bit challenging to say
the least! It’s important that the needs of the animal are met, so we’ve put together
some care information on more commonly kept non-domestic animals in our exotic
pets section to try and help. We think that if you can’t meet the needs of an animal then
you shouldn’t try and keep it.
In some circumstances, we believe it's best not to keep certain types of wild animal at
all because of the conditions they are subjected to, particularly if the animal is only
there to entertain. Examples include primates as pets, dolphins in dolphinaria, elephants
in zoos and wild animals in circuses.

13. Generally, the bigger the difference between conditions in captivity and in the wild, the
greater the risk to animal welfare. The best captive environments will mimic elements of an
animal’s natural surroundings.
This isn’t to say the wild is an idyllic place free from all problems – it’s not! But animals
have evolved over thousands of years, adapting to live in certain types of natural
environment. Placing animals in very different surroundings can cause stress and behaviour
problems.
. . . breeding animals for a few generations doesn’t wipe out thousands of years of
evolution.
Animals bred and kept in captivity are vulnerable to welfare problems because breeding
animals for a few generations doesn’t wipe out thousands of years of evolution. A tiger born
in a circus has essentially the same needs as a tiger born in the wild.

14. Lots of young animals are handed in to us as orphans, but many of them actually haven’t
been abandoned at all! If you’re worried about a baby animal that seems to be alone read
our advice below. If after that you’re sure the animal has been abandoned, either call us
on 0300 1234 999 or find your nearest wildlife rehabilitator.

15. Wildlife rehabilitation is the treatment of a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal until it is
healthy and prepared for a successful life when released back into the wild.
In the UK, there are many wildlife rehabilitators running a variety of facilities. They may
care for many different species or specialise in certain ones, such as birds of prey or
hedgehogs.

16. Laws relating to wildlife can be detailed and complicated.
To try and help, we’ve outlined some key points from a number of the wildlife laws in
England and Wales.
We also direct you to the right place for more detailed info – and provide you with contact
details in case you are worried that a wild animal is being treated illegally.