Large carnivores like lions, tigers and polar bears are among the most welfare-challenged animals in captivity. Their space, cognitive and movement needs often exceed what most zoos can provide.
The welfare problems of large carnivores in captivity are well documented and structurally difficult to solve. Animals that evolved to range vast distances, stalk prey, and maintain complex social or solitary territories experience profound frustration in even well-funded zoo enclosures. Stereotypic pacing is not simply an aesthetic concern — it reflects genuine psychological distress and is associated with suppressed immune function and reproductive failure. Enrichment programmes that provide novelty, problem-solving opportunities and variable feeding regimes reduce stereotypy, but cannot fully compensate for spatial and cognitive constraints. The welfare case for keeping large carnivores in traditional zoo settings is increasingly difficult to defend unless the conservation justification is strong and demonstrably delivered.