Our next audio turns to describing welfare biology, the proposed field of study of animals with respect to their well-being as individuals. This field would incorporate ecology, zoology, and other fields, to understand in order to improve the welfare of animals living in the wild. Though previously these these subjects were studied mainly to help humans or for environmentalist reasons, welfare biology would help animals, including especially animals living apart from humans.

In this course about wild animal suffering, you'll learn about the  plight of animals living in the wild. Find out what the lives of the  most numerous animals — invertebrates — are actually like and get an  overview of evidence of their sentience (consciousness). Hear what the  contemporary debates in animal ethics are and how they relate to showing  moral consideration for nonhuman animals. Find out about a proposed  field of research called welfare biology, the study of the wellbeing of  animals living in the wild.