The welfare challenges of keeping mustelids including otters, ferrets, and wolverines in captivity and best practices for their care.
Mustelid welfare in captivity is challenging due to high activity requirements and large natural territories. Small enclosures without varied terrain, foraging opportunities, and species-appropriate social arrangements produce high rates of stereotypy and behavioral pathology. Best-practice facilities provide large, complex enclosures with water features for aquatic species, multiple hiding places, varied substrates, and daily enrichment rotation. For species like wolverines with extremely large territories, captive welfare can never be fully adequate, raising questions about whether exhibition is justifiable.