Foot health is one of the most significant welfare challenges for captive rhinoceroses, requiring active management of substrate, exercise, and preventive podiatry.
Rhinoceros foot welfare in captivity is an area where proactive management is far preferable to reactive treatment. Providing varied, natural substrates - including deep sand, soil, and mud wallows - reduces hoof overgrowth rates and the need for invasive podiatry. Training rhinoceroses to cooperate with foot examination and basic trimming through positive reinforcement eliminates the need for general anaesthesia in many cases, improving both welfare and safety. Where anaesthesia is required for serious foot pathology, experienced rhinoceros veterinary expertise and careful monitoring are essential. Institutions that invest in substrate quality and training programmes experience substantially fewer foot welfare problems.