Feeding enrichment for captive carnivores - presenting prey in ways that stimulate hunting behaviour - is a key welfare intervention across big cats, bears, and mustelids.
Feeding enrichment for captive carnivores addresses one of the most fundamental behavioural needs of predatory species - the motivation to hunt, pursue, and manipulate prey. Time spent foraging and hunting is a positive welfare indicator; time spent in stereotypic pacing is negative. Whole carcass feeding provides behavioural opportunities including skin removal, bone manipulation, and prolonged feeding - all natural and welfare-positive behaviours. The prohibition on live vertebrate prey in UK zoos is welfare-positive for prey animals while still allowing appropriate foraging enrichment through invertebrate live prey, scatter feeding, and environmental complexity.