Research overview: disease surveillance in zoo and sanctuary felid collections

Captive felids in zoos and sanctuaries require systematic disease surveillance both for their own health and as sentinels for emerging threats. This overview surveys health monitoring in captive cat collections, including routine screening, quarantine, necropsy and the rapid detection of outbreaks such as SARS-CoV-2 in big cats. It examines the disease risks specific to captivity, including crowding, shared genetics and contact with keepers, and the role of zoos in advancing felid disease knowledge and conservation medicine. The synthesis connects captive animal management to broader epidemiology. It aims to help readers understand that zoo and sanctuary felids are both a population to protect and a valuable window onto disease, where intensive monitoring catches outbreaks early and contributes data and techniques that inform the conservation of their wild counterparts.