Feeding enrichment for zoo carnivores — presenting food in ways that engage natural hunting and foraging behaviors — is one of the most effective welfare interventions available, yet is inconsistently implemented across facilities.
Carnivore feeding enrichment addresses the most significant behavioral deficit in zoo carnivore management: the suppression of hunting behavior that occupies the majority of wild carnivore time. Presenting food in a bowl removes the behavioral sequence that precedes and follows eating in natural contexts — stalking, pursuit, killing, scent investigation, caching, and prolonged consumption. Feeding enrichment reinstates elements of this sequence: carcass feeding requires the animal to deal with an intact body, scatter feeding requires searching and foraging, and puzzle feeding requires problem-solving to access food. The welfare benefits are well-documented across species: reduced stereotypic behavior, increased active time, and behavioral indicators consistent with positive engagement. The practical barriers — management time, costs, waste management — are real but modest relative to the welfare benefit.