Orangutans are among the most cognitively complex great apes. Their welfare in captivity requires addressing not just physical needs but the rich cognitive and problem-solving lives they are adapted for.
Orangutan welfare in captivity is a particular challenge because this species evolved for a rich, complex, largely solitary existence in a dynamic forest environment. The cognitive demands of wild orangutan life - tool use, spatial memory, seasonal foraging strategy - cannot be fully replicated in zoo settings. Enrichment programmes that provide cognitive stimulation through puzzles, novel objects and choice offer partial compensation, but the gap between captive and wild experience remains large. The conservation argument for keeping orangutans in zoos rests on the species' critical endangerment, but this argument is only valid if captive populations support genuine reintroduction or in-situ conservation. Without this connection, zoo orangutans bear welfare costs for uncertain conservation benefit.