Cheetahs in zoos require extensive space and exercise opportunities to maintain physical and psychological welfare.
Cheetah welfare in zoos centers on one of the most fundamental mismatches between natural behavior and captive possibility: the need to run at extraordinary speed. Facilities with lure coursing tracks or large run areas where cheetahs can sprint address this need and show dramatically better physical condition and behavioral welfare. Cheetahs also suffer from stress-related reproductive failure, making welfare quality central to conservation program success.