Cheetahs are the world's fastest land mammals and have specific welfare requirements for high-speed exercise that most zoo environments struggle to provide. Understanding their physical and psychological needs helps evaluate captive provision.
Cheetah welfare in captivity requires honest acknowledgement that their speed and space requirements are difficult to meet in most zoo environments. Chronic restriction of an animal evolved for explosive movement causes significant psychological stress. The combination of stereotypic behaviour, reproductive failure, and poor physiological condition in many captive cheetahs indicates that current provision is frequently inadequate. Facilities unable to provide run areas and appropriate enclosure complexity should question whether keeping cheetahs is welfare-justified.