Feeding enrichment for zoo carnivores - from tigers to polar bears - is one of the most effective welfare interventions, allowing expression of natural predatory and foraging behaviors.
Feeding enrichment addresses one of the most fundamental welfare gaps for zoo carnivores - the elimination of the hunting and foraging process that structures wild time budgets. When food is simply presented in a bowl, the animal spends minutes eating rather than hours hunting. Whole prey feeding, frozen meat in ice blocks, scent enrichment using prey species odors, and scatter feeding all extend engagement and activate natural foraging motivation. The cognitive and physical stimulation of complex feeding enrichment improves behavioral welfare indicators and reduces stereotypic behaviors.