野生动物泛指各种生活在自然状态下，未经人类驯化的动物。

自然界里，野生动物会用排泄物来标识其领土，宣示主权的习惯。

野生动物，故名思意，为野外生长繁殖的动物，一般而言，具有以下特征：

1. 野外独立生存，即不依靠外部因素如人类力量存活
2. 具有种群及排他性

Wildlife traditionally refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all plants, fungi, and other organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans.

Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands, and other areas including the most developed urban sites, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that much wildlife is affected by human activities.