Wildlife

Preventing the suffering involved in the commercial exploitation of wild animals

WSPA’s Wildlife Programme targets 3 major areas of need:

• The inhumane killing of animals for meat or products.
  
  
• The suffering of animals captured for live trade during capture, transit and sale.
  
  
• The welfare of animals kept in captivity; many are kept today in facilities that ignore their physical, behavioural and psychological needs.

WSPA’s Libearty campaign continues to apply pressure to authorities in Asia where horrific and inhumane methods of bile extraction have been developed by the bear farming industry. All of methods of bile extraction cause severe mental and physical trauma to thousands of captive bears.

WSPA also aims to influence decisions affecting the welfare of wildlife by key inter-governmental bodies, such as the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The international ban on commercial whaling is at risk of being overturned; countries worldwide appear to have forgotten the fundamental reasons why they should oppose all whaling activities - the inherent cruelty involved.

Whalewatch, a campaign initiative led by WSPA, has been in operation since 2002.

It is the initiative of over 140 animal welfare organisations representing more than 55 countries worldwide and focuses on the cruelty associated with the killing of whales.

View our online resources for reports, educational and campaigning materials about wildlife.

Find out more about WSPA‘s extensive work with wildlife by selecting a link from the left-hand menu.