Can training zoo-housed primates compromise their conservation? A case study using Abyssinian colobus monkeys {Colobus guereza)
In this study we tested the hypothesis that the process of training a non-human primate (NHP) affects it’s general behavior patterns, outside of training. A group of Abyssinian colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza, n = 8), housed at Paignton Zoo, UK, were observed for four 12-day periods. Behaviors were noted prior to training, using positive reinforcement […]
Artificially Generated Cultural Variation Between Two Groups of Captive Monkeys, Colobus guereza kikuyuensis
The majority of studies of social learning in primates have tested subjects in isolation and investigated the effects of learning over very short periods of time. We aimed to test for social learning in two social groups of colobus monkeys, Colobus guereza kikuyuensis. Subjects were shown video footage of familiar monkeys either pushing or pulling […]
Behavioral thermoregulation in a group of zoo-housed colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza)
Although wild primates are known to modify behavior in response to thermal stress, less is known about behavioral thermoregulation in zoo-housed primates. Zoo exhibits expose individuals to unique thermal environments and may constrain the thermoregulatory strategies available to individual animals. In this study, we observed a group of seven colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) living on […]