Providing nutritionally appropriate diets for the huge diversity of zoo species is one of the most complex welfare challenges in animal management. Poor nutrition causes chronic health problems across many taxa.
Species-appropriate nutrition is a fundamental welfare requirement that is still incompletely met for many zoo species. Megaherbs overfed sugary fruit develop metabolic disease. Carnivores fed boneless meat develop dental weakness. Frugivores fed commercial diets develop iron storage disease from unnatural iron levels. The solution requires ongoing research into wild diets, species-specific nutritional requirements, and dietary management that incorporates foraging behaviour rather than treating feeding as purely a metabolic transaction.