Are zoos big enough for big cats? How big should zoo exhibits be? What should those exhibits look like? And should some species be phased out of zoos all together?
Lets take a look at some of the factors which go into zoo design, focussing on behaviour and physical attributes. How can zoos ensure the highest welfare for their animals and how is this developing moving forward?

Want to learn more? Check out the references below for scientific papers.
de Azevedo, C.S.; Cipreste, C.F.; Pizzutto, C.S.; Young, R.J.(2023) Review of the Effects of Enclosure Complexity and Design on the Behaviour and Physiology of Zoo Animals. Animals 13:1277. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081277

Browning, H and Maple, TL (2019) Developing a Metric of Usable Space for Zoo Exhibits. Front. Psychol. 10:791. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00791

Clubb, R & Mason, G. (2003). Animal Welfare: Captivity effects on wideranging carnivores. Nature. 425. 4734. 10.1038/425473a.

Clubb, R and Mason, G.J. (2007) Natural behavioural biology as a risk factor in carnivore welfare: How analysing species differences could help zoos improve enclosures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102:303–328. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.033

Hoehfurtner, T; Wilkinson, A; Walker, M and Burman, OHP (2021) Does enclosure size influence the behaviour & welfare of captive snakes (Pantherophis guttatus)?, Applied Animal Behaviour Science 243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.20....

Lawrence, K.; Sherwen, S.L.; Larsen, H. (2021) Natural Habitat Design for ZooHoused Elasmobranch and Teleost Fish Species Improves Behavioural Repertoire and Space Use in a Visitor Facing Exhibit. Animals 11, 2979. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102979

Melfi, V; Bowkett, A; Plowman, A and Pullen, K. Do zoo designers know enough about animals? Innovation or replication. Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Zoo Design.

Miller, A.; Leighty, K.; Maloney, M.; Kuhar, C.; Bettinger, T. (2011) How access to exhibit space impacts the behaviour of female tigers (Panthera tigris). Zoo Biol. 30, 479–486
https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20349

Ritzler, C.P; Lukas, K.E; BernsteinKurtycz, L.M & Koester, D.C. (2023) The Effects of ChoiceBased Design and Management on the Behavior and Space Use of ZooHoused Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 26:2, 256269, DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2021.1958684

Rose, P., & Robert, R. (2013). Evaluating the activity patterns and enclosure usage of a littlestudied zoo species, the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii). Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 1(1), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v1i1.12

Ross SR, Calcutt S, Schapiro SJ, Hau J. (2011) Space use selectivity by chimpanzees and gorillas in an indooroutdoor enclosure. Am J Primatol. 73(2):197208. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20891.

Veasey JS (2020) Can Zoos Ever Be Big Enough for Large Wild Animals? A Review Using an Expert Panel Assessment of the Psychological Priorities of the Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) as a Model Species. Animals (Basel). 31;10(9):1536. doi: 10.3390/ani10091536.

Veasey J.S. (2017) In pursuit of peak animal welfare; the need to prioritize the meaningful over the measurable. Zoo Biology 36(6), 413–425.

Warwick, C; Arena, P and Steedman, C (2019) Spatial considerations for captive snakes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 30, 3748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.1...

Wilson, SF (1982) Environmental influences on the activity of captive apes. Zoo Biology 1: 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1430010304





Picture References.
Port Jackson Shark by Squiresk (https://www.inaturalist.org/observati...) CC by 4.0.
Photo6754757 by Alejandro Trevino (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/67...) Public Domain.
Don’t touch the lizards by Andy Hay (https://www.flickr.com/photos/2917229...) CC by 2.0.
Photo 153942287 by Lucy KeithDiagne (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/15...) CC by 4.0.
Forest Sitatunga by Tonyking (https://www.inaturalist.org/observati...) CC by 4.0.
animals_mammal_congo_sitatunga_006 by Jan Helebrant (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9654156...) CCO Public Domain Dedication
Philadelphia Zoo Press Pack Photos of Trail Systems.


Footage filmed on location
Hertfordshire Zoo: https://www.hertfordshirezoo.com/
Dudley Zoo: https://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/