Aardvarks are nocturnal, burrowing insectivores whose welfare in captivity requires specialized nocturnal housing, deep substrate for digging and carefully managed diets that approximate their natural food sources.
Aardvarks are among the most specialized and welfare-demanding of zoo species. Their nocturnal foraging activity means standard daylight exhibit hours cause chronic disruption of natural sleep-wake cycles unless facilities maintain reversed lighting schedules. Their fundamental behavioral need is digging — without deep, appropriate substrate, aardvarks exhibit repetitive stereotypic behaviors and suffer foot pathology from hard surfaces. Replicating their diet of live termites and ants is exceptionally difficult, requiring specialized insect breeding programs or carefully formulated substitute diets. Best-practice facilities integrate deep sand substrates, reversed day-night lighting, scattered food presentation requiring foraging effort and minimized keeper contact to reduce stress.