Naked mole rats are eusocial mammals with a unique colonial social structure analogous to bees and ants, whose extraordinary biology and social complexity create both fascinating educational opportunities and specific welfare requirements in zoo settings.
Naked mole rat welfare is fundamentally about colony integrity. These are not animals that can be housed singly or in small incompatible groups — their entire social, physiological, and behavioral functioning depends on the complex social structure of a full colony. Disrupting this by removing or adding individuals without careful management can cause colony-level social dysfunction that affects every member. Their tunnel systems need to be complex enough to allow temperature regulation, food caching, and the social interactions that define their daily lives. Zoos that house naked mole rats in appropriately complex tunnel exhibits with full colonies provide genuinely good welfare — these animals thrive in captivity when their social and environmental needs are met.