Aardvarks are solitary, nocturnal insectivores with unique behavioral needs. Providing good welfare in zoos requires appropriate diets, burrowing opportunities, and light management.
Aardvarks in zoos face significant welfare challenges due to their highly specialized lifestyle. Their powerful digging drive must be accommodated — enclosures need deep, appropriate substrate (sandy loam) that allows burrowing, or pre-constructed burrow structures that satisfy this behavioral need. Diet replication is technically challenging: commercial insectivore diets must closely match the nutritional profile of ants and termites. As nocturnal animals, keeping them active during public viewing hours requires careful light cycle management. Social housing is inappropriate given their solitary and territorial nature. Positive reinforcement training facilitates veterinary care without chemical restraint. Stress indicators include refusal to feed, daytime hyperactivity, and stereotypic digging at walls. Many zoos struggle to maintain aardvarks long-term due to their specialized requirements.