Kinkajous are nocturnal, fruit-eating mammals from Central and South American rainforests. Their welfare in captivity hinges on appropriate diet, enrichment, and nocturnal schedules.
Kinkajou welfare in captivity requires a diet rich in varied fruit (not just commercial primate food), supplemented with honey, nectar-bearing flowers, and live insects for foraging enrichment. Their nocturnal nature means daytime handling causes stress; facilities should shift feeding and enrichment to evening hours. Complex climbing structures mimicking canopy are essential. The exotic pet trade causes major welfare harm — kinkajous are captured young, raised in isolation, and suffer behavioral abnormalities.