Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T15:39:11.728Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reasons and Risks Associated with Manipulating Captive primates' Social Environments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

E Visalberghi*
Affiliation:
Istituto di Psicologia, CNR, Via Aldrovandi 16b, 00197 Roma, Italy
J R Anderson
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Psychophysiologie, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg
*
Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints Abstract

Extract

Efforts to promote the psychological well-being of captive non-human primates through the application of environmental enrichment techniques are becoming more common. However, from this perspective relatively little empirical work has been done on the effects of manipulation of the social environment. The data currently available indicate that primates kept in solitary confinement are likely to develop a variety of behavioural and physiological disturbances reflecting reduced well-being, whereas most compatibly socially housed primates appear better adapted. There is always some risk associated with manipulating the social environment for experimental or husbandry reasons, but the risk of deleterious consequences can be reduced by a good knowledge of the animals’ normal repertoire and careful monitoring of how the animals adjust to the new conditions. Attending to the social environment of captive primates is fundamental to their welfare.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1993 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, J R and Chamove, A S 1986 Infant stumptailed macaques reared with mirrors or peers: social responsiveness, attachment, and adjustment. Primates 27: 6382CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, J R and Visalberghi, E 1990 Towards better conditions for captive nonhuman primates: routines, requirements, and research. In Alleva, E and Laviola, G (eds) Biomedical Experimentation and Laboratory Animals: Hot Behavioural Issues pp 111. ISTISAN Reports: RomeGoogle Scholar
Anderson, J R and Visalberghi, E 1991 Capacités cognitives des primates non humains: implications pour l’élevage en captivité. Sciences et Techniques de l’Animal de Laboratoire 16: 163171Google Scholar
Anderson, J R, Combette, C and Roeder, J J 1991 Integration of a tame adult female capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) into a captive group. Primate Report 31: 8794Google Scholar
Bayne, KAL 1989 Resolving issues of psychological well-being and management of laboratory nonhuman primates. In Segal, E F (ed) Housing, Care and Psychological Wellbeing of Captive and Laboratory Primates pp 2739. Noyes Publications: Park Ridge, New JerseyGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, I S 1989 Breeding colonies and psychological well-being. American Journal of Primatology Supplement 1: 3136Google Scholar
Bernstein, I S 1991 Social housing of monkeys and apes. Group formations. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 329333Google ScholarPubMed
Bernstein, I S and Gordon, T P 1980 Mixed taxa introductions, hybrids and macaque systematics. In Lindburg, D G (ed) The Macaques: Studies in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution pp 125147. Van Nostrand-Reinhold: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, I S, Gordon, T P and Rose, R M 1974 Aggression and social controls in rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) groups revealed in group formation studies. Folia Primatologica 21: 81107CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bertrand, M 1969 The Behavioral Repertoire of the Stumptail Macaque. Karger: BaselGoogle Scholar
Bloomsmith, M, Brent, L Y and Schapiro, S J 1991 Guidelines for developing and managing an environmental enrichment program for nonhuman primates. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 372377Google ScholarPubMed
Boccia, M L, Reite, M and Laudenslager, M 1989 On the physiology of grooming in a pigtail macaque. Physiology and Behavior 45: 667670CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capitanio, J P and Lerche, N W 1991 Psychosocial factors and disease progression in simian AIDS. AIDS 5: 11031106CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Champoux, M, Coe, C L, Schanberg, S M, Kuhn, C M and Suomi, S J 1989 Hormonal effects of early rearing conditions in the infant rhesus monkey. American Journal of Primatology 19: 111117CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coe, C L, Cassayre, P, Levine, S and Rosenberg, L T 1987 Effects of age, sex, and psychological disturbance on immunoglobulin levels in the squirrel monkey. Developmental Psychobiology 21: 161175CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coelho, A M Jr, Carey, K D and Shade, R E 1991 Assessing the effects of social environment on blood pressure and heart rates of baboons. American Journal of Primatology 23: 257267CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dawkins, M S 1980 Animal Suffering: the Science of Animal Welfare. Chapman and Hall: LondonCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawkins, M S 1990 From an animal’s point of view: motivation, fitness, and animal welfare. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 13: 161CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Waal, F B M 1982 Chimpanzee Politics. Jonathan Cape: LondonGoogle Scholar
de Waal, F B M 1989 Peacemaking Among Primates. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MassCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dittus, W P J 1979 The evolution of behaviours regulating density and age-specific sex ratios in a primate population. Behaviour 69: 265302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dittus, W P J and Ratnayeke, S M 1989 Individual and social behavioral responses to injury in wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica). International Journal of Primatology 10: 215234CrossRefGoogle Scholar
EEC 1986 Directive 86/609 (24.11.1986) European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes: BrusselsGoogle Scholar
Erwin, J and Deni, R 1979 Strangers in a strange land: abnormal behaviors or abnormal environments? In Erwin J, Maple T L and Mitchell G (eds) Captivity and Behavior ppl-28. Van Nostrand Reinhold: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Fritz, J 1989 Resocialization of captive chimpanzees: an amelioration procedure. American Journal of Primatology Supplement 1: 7986Google Scholar
Griffin, D R 1982 Animal Mind - Human Mind. Springer-Verlag: BerlinCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gust, D A, Gordon, T P, Wilson, M E, Ahmed-Ansari, A, Brodie, A R and McClure, H M 1991 Formation of a new social group of unfamiliar female rhesus monkeys affects the immune and pituitary adrenocortical systems. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 5: 296307CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harlow, H F and Harlow, M K 1965 The affectional systems. In Schrier, A M, Harlow, H F and Stollnitz, F (eds) Behavior of Nonhuman Primates, Volume 2 pp 287334. Academic Press: New YorkCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hausfater, G and Hrdy, S B 1984 Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives. Aldine: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Holloway, R L 1974 Primate Aggression, Territoriality and Xenophobia. Academic Press: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Izard, M K 1991 Efforts to promote psychological well-being in prosimian primates at the Duke University Primate Research Center. In Novak, M A and Petto, A J (eds) Through the Looking Glass: Issues of Psychological Well-being in Captive Nonhuman Primates pp 137148. American Psychological Association: Washington D CCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, J R 1986 Psychological stress and behavior in nonhuman primates. In Mitchell, G and Erwin, J (eds) Comparative Primate Biology, Vol 2A: Behavior, Conservation and Ecology pp 455492. Alan R Liss: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, J R, Manuck, S B, Clarkson, T B, Lusso, F M and Taub, DM 1982 Social status, environment, and atherosclerosis in cynomolgus monkeys. Arteriosclerosis 2: 359368CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kleiman, D G, Beck, B B, Dietz, J M and Dietz, L A 1991 Costs of a re-introduction and criteria for success: accounting and accountability in the Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London 62: 125142Google Scholar
Laudenslager, M, Capitanio, J P and Reite, M 1985 Possible effects of early separation experiences on subsequent immune function in adult male macaque monkeys. American Journal of Psychiatry 142: 862864Google Scholar
Laudenslager, M L, Reite, M and Harbec, R J 1982 Suppressed immune response in infant monkeys associated with maternal separation. Behavioral and Neural Biology 36: 4048CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levine, S, Johnson, D F and Gonzales, C A 1985 Behavioral and hormonal responses to separation in infant rhesus monkeys and mothers. Behavioral Neuroscience 99: 399410CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindburg, D G 1991 Ecological requirements of macaques. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 315322Google ScholarPubMed
McGrew, W C 1981 Social and cognitive capabilities of nonhuman primates. Lessons from the wild to captivity. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 2: 138149Google Scholar
Mason, W A 1979 Minding, meddling, and muddling through. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 18(1): 18Google Scholar
Mason, W A 1989 Primatology and primate well-being. American Journal of Primatology Supplement 1: 14Google Scholar
Mason, W A 1991 Effects of social interaction on well-being: developmental aspects. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 323328Google Scholar
Mendoza, S P 1991 Sociophysiology of well-being in nonhuman primates. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 344349Google ScholarPubMed
Meyer, J R and Wilcox, C 1982 The reintroduction of a hand-reared lion-tailed macaque or wanderoo Macaca silenus. International Zoo Yearbook 22: 252255CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, G D 1968 Persistent behavior pathology in rhesus monkeys following early social isolation. Folia Primatologica 8: 132147CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Novak, M A and Petto, A J 1991 Through the Looking Glass: Issues of Psychological Well-being in Captive Nonhuman Primates. American Psychological Association: Washington D CCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Novak, M A and Suomi, S J 1988 Psychological well-being of primates in captivity. American Psychologist 43: 765773CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Novak, M A and Suomi, S J 1991 Social interaction in nonhuman primates: an underlying theme for primate research. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 308314Google ScholarPubMed
Poole, T B 1987 Social behavior of a group of orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) on an artificial island in Singapore Zoological Gardens. Zoo Biology 6: 315330CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rasmussen, K L R, Fellowes, J R and Suomi, S J 1990 Physiological correlates of emigration behavior and mortality in adolescent male rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago. American Journal of Primatology 20: 224225 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V 1989a Behavioral responses of unrelated adult male rhesus monkeys familiarized and paired for the purpose of environmental enrichment. American Journal of Primatology 17: 243248CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reinhardt, V 1989b Alternatives to single caging of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) used in research. Zeitschrift für Versuchstierkunde 32: 275279Google ScholarPubMed
Reinhardt, V 1989c Re-pairing caged rhesus monkeys. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 28(4): 19Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V 1990a Time budget of caged rhesus monkeys exposed to a companion, a PVC perch, and a piece of wood for an extended time. American Journal of Primatology 20: 5156CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reinhardt, V 1990b Social enrichment for laboratory primates: a critical review. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 29(3): 711Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V 1991 Agonistic behavior responses of socially experienced, unfamiliar adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) to pairing. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 30(1): 57Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V and Reinhardt, A 1991 Impact of a privacy panel on the behavior of caged female rhesus monkeys living in pairs. Journal of Experimental Animal Science 34: 5558Google ScholarPubMed
Reinhardt, V, Reinhardt, A, Eisele, S, Houser, D and Wolf, J 1987 Control of excessive aggressive disturbance in a heterogeneous troop of rhesus monkeys. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 18: 371377CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reite, M, Short, R, Seiler, C and Pauley, J D 1981 Attachment, loss and depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 22: 141169CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rhine, R J and Cox, R L 1990 How not to enlarge a stable group of stumptailed macaques. In Segal, E F (ed) Housing, Care and Psychological Wellbeing of Captive and Laboratory Primates pp 255269. Noyes: Park Ridge, New JerseyGoogle Scholar
Sackett, G B 1990 Innate mechanisms, rearing conditions, and a theory of early experience effects in primates. In Jones M R (ed) Miami Symposium of Prediction of Behavior: Early Experience ppl-45. University of Miami Press: MiamiGoogle Scholar
Sapolsky, R 1990 Physiological perspectives on nonhuman primate well-being. In Mench, J A and Krulisch, L (eds) Well-being of Nonhuman Primates in Research pp 3235. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare: Bethesda, MarylandGoogle Scholar
Segal, E F 1989 Housing, Care and Psychological Wellbeing of Captive and Laboratory Primates. Noyes Publications: Park Ridge, New JerseyGoogle Scholar
van Hooff, JARAM 1986 Behavior requirements for self-sustaining primate populations - some theoretical considerations and a closer look at social behavior. In Benirschke, K (ed) Primates: the Road to Self-Sustaining Populations pp 307319. Springer-Verlag: New YorkCrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Schaik, C P, van Noordwijk, M A, van Bragt, T and Blankenstein, M A 1991 A pilot study of the social correlates of levels of urinary Cortisol, prolactin and testosterone in wild long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Primates 32: 345356CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vick, L G and Pereira, M E 1989 Episodic targeting aggression and the histories of Lemur social groups. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 25: 312CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Visalberghi, E and Riviello, M C 1987 The integration into a social group of a hand-reared brown capuchin, Cebus apella. International Zoo Yearbook 26: 232236CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolfie, T L 1991 Psychological well-being: the billion-dollar solution. In Novak M A and Petto A J (eds) Through the Looking Glass: Issues of Psychological Well-being in Captive Nonhuman Primates ppll9-128. American Psychological Association: Washington D CCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuckerman, S 1932 The Social Life of Monkeys and Apes. Routledge and Kegan: LondonGoogle Scholar