Cheetahs are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity and show high rates of stress-related disease in zoo settings, requiring specialised management and raising important questions about the welfare-conservation balance.
Cheetah welfare in captivity is genuinely problematic — the species shows a level of stress-related disease and reproductive failure that indicates zoo environments do not meet their needs well. The chronic disease burden, particularly liver and gastrointestinal conditions, suggests that captive cheetahs experience significant chronic physiological stress. Zoos maintaining cheetahs should invest in large, complex enclosures with sightline management that reduces perceived threat, appropriate social housing with compatible companions, and active welfare monitoring. The relatively limited conservation contribution of captive breeding programmes compared to their welfare costs deserves honest evaluation.