Mountain lions (pumas) in zoo settings require specialized enrichment addressing their solitary nature, large natural home ranges, and high activity levels to maintain good welfare.
Mountain lion welfare in zoos is challenged by the fundamental incompatibility between their vast natural home range requirements and captive enclosure sizes. While no zoo can replicate the scale of wild mountain lion territory, welfare can be meaningfully improved through enclosure complexity, varied substrate including elevated platforms and natural vegetation, and enrichment that engages predatory behavioral sequences. Scent enrichment using prey species scents, novel objects, and rotating environmental features maintains engagement. The welfare of human-habituated individuals rescued from conflict situations requires particular attention to managing approaches that maintain behavioral integrity without reinforcing human association.