Large carnivores including lions, tigers, and polar bears present some of the most challenging enrichment needs in zoos because their hunting and ranging behaviours are extremely difficult to provide for in captive settings.
Large carnivore welfare in zoos remains a significant challenge despite decades of enrichment innovation. The core problem is that the motivation to hunt, range, and patrol large territories cannot be fully satisfied in captive environments however well designed. Welfare interventions focus on providing naturalistic feeding challenges, complex multi-space environments, social groupings appropriate to species social structures, and cognitive stimulation that engages problem-solving capacities. The welfare bar for large carnivore housing has risen significantly through accreditation standards, but many animals in smaller or less-resourced facilities still experience environments inadequate for their needs.