Wild Welfare

Wild Welfare is a registered UK charity (No. 1165941) dedicated to addressing one of the most pressing global animal welfare challenges: the suffering of wild animals living in poorly-managed captive facilities. Since our founding in 2012, we have established ourselves as an internationally recognised centre of expertise, renowned for our unique, collaborative, and results-driven approach.

Our core mission is to unite the world's leading zoos, aquariums, and animal welfare organisations to fundamentally improve the welfare of captive wild animals globally.

The captive wild animal landscape is vast and largely unregulated. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 captive wild animal facilities worldwide. While accredited zoos uphold high standards, a significant majority—often in regions struggling with expertise and resources—operate outside of any meaningful welfare legislation or guiding principles. This results in common welfare deficiencies, including:

-Inadequate housing and enrichment, leading to psychological and physical distress.

-Poor veterinary care and limited knowledge of species-specific needs.

-A lack of institutional and national animal welfare regulations.

Wild Welfare was established to bridge this gap. We are unique in our strategy: rather than solely campaigning against poor practice, we actively engage and partner with the facilities themselves. We reject condemnation in favour of constructive collaboration, leveraging the shared commitment of both the accredited zoo community and animal welfare NGOs to achieve lasting, positive change.

Our work is guided by our core values of integrity, compassion, and a belief in the power of authentic relationships. We prioritise projects that offer the greatest potential for long-term impact, focusing on systemic improvements rather than temporary fixes.