Modern zoo animal welfare has improved dramatically, but wide variation persists — from exemplary facilities to chronically substandard conditions in some regions.
Zoo animal welfare spans a vast spectrum. In accredited institutions with naturalistic enclosures, enrichment programs, and behavioral monitoring, animals can achieve good welfare outcomes. In substandard facilities — roadside zoos, poorly funded municipal zoos — chronic physical and psychological suffering is common. A consistent global accreditation system remains absent.