OUR HISTORY AND OUR CHALLENGES
Our History
Founded in 2021, Wild Welfare US is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We work closely with Wild Welfare, a registered charity in the UK, founded in 2012. Together we collaborate to improve welfare for captive wild animals worldwide.
We are the first charity to solely focus on improving welfare standards and provision by uniting animal welfare NGOs and captive wildlife facilities (such as zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries) around the world for maximum global impact.
We forge links between global animal welfare NGOs, accredited zoo and sanctuary professionals, and related associations. By working together, we develop and implement solutions to some of the most critical welfare issues facing wild animals in captivity.
The Challenges We Face
An estimated more than 10,000 captive wild animal facilities operate worldwide including zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and rescue centers. It is likely only a small percentage fall under appropriate animal welfare legislation and/or guiding principles from a global or regional association. Poor captive animal welfare is widely prevalent within facilities that fall outside recognized standards, meaning that around the world, potentially tens of thousands of animals are suffering.
As societal interest in animal welfare approaches an all-time high, captive care facilities, especially zoos and aquariums, are in the spotlight now more than ever for their animal care and welfare practices. Poor facilities with extreme welfare concerns are regularly highlighted by the animal protection community, often with calls to boycott or close them down. In many cases the reason for the outcry is obvious, and in some, closure is the best option. However, this does not address the problem nor does it provide for a long-term solution, prevent the perpetuation of the cycle of abuse, and fails to affect change at the heart of where it must happen – within these very communities where captive animals are being kept in the poor conditions that lead to suffering.
With the number of captive animal facilities unlikely to decrease worldwide, our work to assure that animal care practices and welfare provision meet high standards is needed more than ever.
The Animal Welfare Issues
The lack of institutional or national regulations results in poorly managed animal facilities, many with poor standards of animal welfare. Poor welfare is often exacerbated by over-crowding, insufficient healthcare and a lack of visitor awareness and respect. Animal keepers within many facilities have limited or no animal management background, and veterinary expertise and care is extremely limited – in an environment where highly specialized care for wild animals is an absolute necessity.
The limited knowledge and understanding amongst staff is at the heart of the challenge to make improvements within facilities, and inadequate animal protection legislation prevents national or regional change to help on a broader level. Improving captive animal welfare requires strong working relationships between facilities housing animals and animal welfare and protection groups. Animal welfare nonprofit organizations and the accredited zoo, aquarium, and sanctuary communities fully support the establishment and implementation of exemplary welfare standards for animals in captivity.
We’re uniting the world’s leading animal welfare organizations and captive wild animal facilities – including zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries – to provide expert and practical solutions to help end the suffering of wild animals in captivity.
The Wild Welfare US Solution
We play a pivotal role in ongoing efforts to improve captive animal welfare. We provide critical support to facilities wanting to replace unacceptable wild animal practices with those practices which enhance wellbeing. We work on the ground with the very people responsible for implementing these changes. Scientific, evidence-based information is used to develop and present our educational materials, trainings, and resources; these are delivered with a compassionate, empathy-based approach to animal welfare. Our approach enables us to reach facilities that others haven’t.
We work around the world with animal care facilities and animal welfare organizations focused on what can be done now to reduce animal suffering and improve animal welfare. Our work is bringing the welfare of captive wild animals to the forefront of public and policy agendas with the result of enhanced captive animal care conditions around the world.
The issue of poor wild animal welfare and abuse cannot be resolved single-handedly, but together we can change minds, attitudes, and practices that enhance the welfare of many wild animals around the world.