How whole prey feeding, food concealment, and feeding enrichment improve behavioral welfare for zoo carnivores.
Carnivore feeding in zoo settings has evolved dramatically from the simple twice-daily food presentation of traditional zoos. The recognition that feeding-related behavior encompasses hunting, tracking, stalking, killing, and processing - all intensely motivated behavioral systems - has driven development of enriched feeding approaches that engage more of this behavioral repertoire. Whole prey feeding and food concealment represent practical, cost-effective welfare improvements that simultaneously provide mental stimulation, physical activity, and dental health benefits. The welfare investment in carnivore feeding enrichment is modest relative to the behavioral welfare improvement it delivers across the daily lives of these cognitively complex animals.