The common view
Many people only see the situation of wild animals as a problem when it affects humans (for example, a disease that could spread to people) or environmental goals (for example, an endangered species). The animals' suffering itself wouldn't count.
Why this view is wrong
Ask yourself: why does the good of humans matter for its own sake? The simplest answer is: because humans can be harmed and helped. They feel pain, fear, and joy.
But that same reason applies to any sentient being. A deer with a painful disease really suffers. A baby bird starving to death really suffers.
And that reason does not apply to things that can't feel, like species and ecosystems.
What this means
If the reason we care about humans is that they can suffer, then we need to care about wild animals for their own sake, and not only when their suffering affects humans or the environment.
In short
- The common view only cares about wild animals when humans or the environment are affected.
- The reason humans matter applies to every being that can feel.
- So the suffering of wild animals matters in itself.