Aldabra giant tortoises are among the longest-lived zoo animals, with welfare considerations spanning dietary management, thermal regulation, and social needs across decades.
Aldabra tortoise welfare requires long-term thinking given lifespans that can exceed those of their keepers. Dietary management, thermal environment maintenance, and social housing must be consistently provided across institutional changes and keeper turnover. Their long lifespan and relatively simple behavioral repertoire makes enrichment management different from mammals but not less important. Appropriate substrate for natural movement and thermal environment management are consistent welfare requirements across their extraordinarily long lives. Their longevity makes individual tortoise welfare decisions highly consequential.