Amur (Siberian) tigers are critically endangered with under 600 individuals in the wild. Zoo populations play a meaningful conservation role, but their welfare requires specific provision for their cold-climate needs.
Amur tiger welfare in zoos requires careful attention to temperature management, social separation, and territory simulation. Heat stress during summer months affects tigers from cold-adapted populations and requires cooling provisions. The vast ranging needs of wild tigers cannot be met in zoo enclosures, but complex environments with vertical and horizontal variety, and enrichment that stimulates hunting behaviour, reduce the welfare deficit significantly.