How tigers in accredited zoos can experience good welfare and contribute meaningfully to conservation while meeting their complex needs.
Zoo tiger welfare sits at the intersection of conservation imperative and individual animal need. The conservation case for maintaining captive populations is strongest for the Amur and Sumatran subspecies; the welfare case for quality captive conditions applies universally. Stereotypic pacing — once common in zoo tigers — is now recognised as a welfare indicator preventable through exhibit design and enrichment. Modern accredited tiger exhibits use complex substrate, vegetation for concealment, elevated platforms and rotating olfactory enrichment to engage natural behavioural repertoires. Animals showing persistent stereotypies despite enriched environments should be assessed by a veterinary behaviourist — stereotypy may indicate a need for pharmacological support alongside environmental improvement.