Lions, tigers, leopards, and other large cats in zoos require significant territory and behavioral complexity to maintain good welfare. Housing standards vary enormously between facilities.
Large cat welfare in zoos requires recognition of the tension between their ranging ecology and captive space realities. While no zoo can provide wild-scale territories, significant improvements over traditional concrete facilities are achievable through naturalistic design, behavioral enrichment, appropriate social housing, and management that allows cats to make choices and control their environment to some degree.