Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards with complex thermoregulatory and behavioral needs that challenge zoo environments, making their welfare dependent on specialized management.
Komodo dragon welfare in captivity depends heavily on thermal management. Inadequate temperature gradients prevent effective digestion - undigested food causes gut stasis and infection. As ambush predators, Komodo dragons are motivated to hunt, but are fed pre-killed prey in zoos, preventing expression of their natural behavioral repertoire. Enrichment using whole prey items with different textures, scents, and positions can partially address this. Their large size and cryptic behavior means welfare problems may go undetected - a dragon that is metabolically compromised by poor thermoregulation may simply appear inactive.