Great apes in zoos and sanctuaries have profound cognitive and social needs that require sophisticated enrichment programs to support psychological welfare in captivity.
The cognitive sophistication of great apes means that their captive welfare challenges are qualitatively different from less cognitively complex animals. Boredom, social deprivation, and lack of agency are not abstractions for great apes — they produce measurable psychological suffering similar to that seen in humans under equivalent conditions. Enrichment programs for great apes must address cognitive engagement, social complexity, agency over their environment, and sensory variety. The welfare standard for great apes in captivity should be aspiring to match the richness of their wild lives as closely as possible, not merely preventing the worst outcomes.