Lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats in captive settings require complex environments and extensive space to meet their welfare needs, which most traditional zoo enclosures fail to provide.
Big cats evolved as wide-ranging, complex hunters with strong territorial and predatory needs. Standard zoo enclosures that consist of concrete floors and minimal furniture provide none of the complexity these animals require. The resulting boredom and frustration manifests as pacing, obsessive wall-following, and other repetitive behaviours that are clear indicators of suffering. Well-designed sanctuaries with large varied territories, appropriate social groupings, and enrichment that stimulates natural behaviours can achieve substantially better outcomes.