Zoo welfare reform over the past 40 years has transformed conditions for captive animals, but significant challenges remain.
Zoo welfare reform has been genuine and substantial: the barren concrete enclosures of 1970s zoos have been replaced in most accredited facilities with complex, naturalistic habitats that allow many more natural behaviours. But reform is incomplete and uneven. Species with large natural ranges, complex social structures, or specialised environmental needs continue to be welfare-compromised even in the best modern facilities. The appropriate response is not uniform acceptance or rejection of zoos but critical engagement: supporting reform, opposing inadequate facilities, and holding the industry accountable to its own stated welfare standards.