Behavioral assessment of large felids in zoological collections provides essential information about welfare quality that physical health metrics alone cannot capture.
Large felid welfare in captivity is strongly influenced by exhibit design and management philosophy. A lion in a concrete enclosure with limited complexity will likely develop stereotypic pacing; the same animal in a spacious, complex exhibit with enriched feeding may show few behavioral indicators of poor welfare. This variability demonstrates that captive large felid welfare is not simply constrained by captivity — it is substantially shaped by human choices about exhibit design, enrichment investment, and management approach. Behavioral assessment makes these management effects visible and enables accountability.