Tigers are among the most iconic zoo animals and face critical conservation challenges in the wild. Their welfare in captivity requires careful attention to space, enrichment, and social needs.
Tiger welfare in zoos ranges dramatically across facilities. In accredited institutions with large, complex habitats, swimming areas, varied enrichment, and professional veterinary care, tigers live long, behaviorally rich lives that contribute to conservation through breeding and public education. In roadside zoos and cub-petting facilities, tigers live in severely inadequate conditions — small concrete enclosures, inappropriate feeding, constant human contact during cubhood, and eventual abandonment when they become dangerous adults. The cub-petting industry in the U.S. represents a severe welfare crisis that the Big Cat Public Safety Act (signed 2022) is beginning to address by prohibiting direct public contact with big cats.