Large felids including tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards present some of the most challenging zoo welfare scenarios due to their expansive natural ranges and complex behavioral needs.
Large felid welfare in captivity is a high-profile welfare issue due to their charismatic status and the severity of welfare deficits in inadequate environments. Pacing stereotypies, the canary-in-the-coal-mine of inadequate enclosure size and complexity, are common in facilities where space, cover, enrichment, and social management do not meet the species needs. Accredited zoos with naturalistic large enclosures, appropriate social groupings, and comprehensive enrichment programs provide substantially better welfare. Private ownership, roadside attractions, and exotic pet contexts typically fail to meet even minimum welfare needs. Regulatory reform including the Big Cat Public Safety Act has eliminated the worst contexts for large felid keeping in the US.