Large carnivores including lions, tigers, leopards, and bears have evolved to range over vast territories, making their welfare in zoo environments particularly challenging to achieve.
Large carnivore welfare in captivity is one of the most challenging areas in zoo welfare science because these animals have evolved to patrol vast territories for which no zoo can realistically substitute. The welfare solution is twofold: environmental complexity that provides physical and cognitive stimulation across the available space, combined with feeding regimes that engage natural hunting and food-processing behaviour. Scent enrichment, puzzle feeders, carcass feeding, and pool or climbing structures can meaningfully improve welfare within constrained space. However, the most honest assessment is that many zoo carnivore exhibits do not meet the welfare needs of these animals, and investment in substantially larger, richer environments is a genuine welfare requirement.