Cheetahs present unique welfare challenges in captivity due to their need for high-speed exercise, sensitivity to stress, and low reproductive success. Evidence-based management has improved outcomes but significant challenges remain.
The fundamental tension in cheetah welfare is between the animal's physiological need for high-speed exercise over large areas and the inherently constrained environment of captivity. Stress-related disease is endemic in cheetah collections and is directly linked to inadequate opportunities for exercise and expression of natural hunting behaviour. Good welfare requires substantial investment in run facilities, daily lure coursing opportunities, careful social management (cheetahs are semi-solitary), and meticulous control of stressors including keeper consistency and proximity to potential threats. Zoos that cannot provide these conditions should reassess whether they can ethically maintain cheetahs.