The traditional focus
Since animal ethics began, the focus has almost always been on animals harmed by human practices, like animal agriculture and testing. But there's another enormous group of animals who suffer: wild animals, from natural causes.
How wild animals live
Most species have enormous numbers of babies: thousands or even millions. Almost all of them die soon after birth, from hunger, cold, disease, parasites, or being eaten. For every one that survives, thousands die young, often suffering.
The proposal
The proposal is to reduce the suffering and deaths of wild animals caused by natural processes, whenever that can be done safely.
The arguments
- If we care about animals, it makes no sense to care only about the harm humans cause. For the animal, it doesn't matter where the hunger comes from.
- How strong the reasons to help are depends on the size of the harm, not where it came from.
What's already being done
There are already mass vaccinations, disease treatments, rescues during disasters, and care for orphans. The proposal is to expand and improve this, with careful research.
In short
- Animal ethics used to look only at harms caused by humans.
- In the wild, most animals are born only to die young, suffering.
- The proposal is to reduce this suffering carefully.