WILD ANIMAL INITIATIVE INC

From March through June 2026, Wild Animal Initiative made meaningful advances across research, institutional influence, and grant-making. In March, the organization secured a formal seat at the Roundtable on Science and Welfare of Animals Involved in Research, gaining direct influence over ethical oversight practices for animals — including invertebrates — in research settings. April brought a peer-reviewed publication on wild fish welfare, documenting a 15% average prevalence of injuries and deformities across six fish biology journals. May produced no reportable activity. June marked a significant grant-making milestone: 13 research projects were selected from 400 expressions of interest, spanning neotropical frogs, urban coyotes, rats, fish, and invertebrates. A companion analysis also revealed a striking disciplinary gap — veterinary authors appear in nearly 50% of wild animal welfare articles but only 3.2% of general wildlife research — pointing to a structural opportunity the organization is actively working to address.