Development and assessment of a stair ascension challenge as a measure of aging and physical function in nonhuman primates
Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are valuable models for studying healthspan, including frailty development. Frailty metrics in people centers on functional measures, including usual gait speed which can be predictive of all-cause mortality. This concept that physical competencies are able to prognosticate an individual’s health trajectory over chronologic aging is well-accepted and has led to refinements in […]
The Effects of Oral Lavender Therapy on Wounding in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Lavender administration in humans has been shown to promote calmness without the side effects often observed with benzodiazepines. Studies in both humans and rodents have found that ingestion of oral lavender capsules resulted in significantly decreased anxiety. Additionally, mice developed an anti-conflict effect and humans increased socially inclusive behaviors. Given the safety of oral lavender […]
Allostatic Load Indices With Cholesterol and Triglycerides Predict Disease and Mortality Risk in Zoo-Housed Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Allostatic load, or the physiological dysregulation accumulated due to senescence and stress, is an established predictor of human morbidity and mortality and has been proposed as a tool for monitoring health and welfare in captive wildlife. It is estimated by combining biomarkers from multiple somatic systems into allostatic load indices (ALIs), providing a score representing […]
Time constraints imposed by anthropogenic environments alter social behaviour in longtailed macaques
Humans and their associated anthropogenic factors may strongly affect the demographics, activity and fragmentation of wild animal populations. Yet, the degree and nature of such impact on indicators of animals’ social relationships remain largely under-investigated, despite the well-documented importance of strong social ties for an individual’s health and fitness. Here, we examined whether interactions with […]
The Use of Positive Reinforcement Training Techniques to Enhance the Care, Management, and Welfare of Primates in the Laboratory
Handled frequently and subjected to a wide range of medical procedures that may be particularly invasive, nonhuman animals in a laboratory setting have unique needs. To produce the most reliable research results and to protect and enhance the well-being of the animals, it is desirable to perform these procedures with as little stress for the […]
Assessing the Effects of New Primate Exhibits on Zoo Visitors’ Attitudes and Perceptions by Using Three Different Assessment Methods
Using three different methods, this study investigated how zoo visitors behaved in response to both old and new exhibits of four nonhuman primate species and how they perceived these primates. On-site observations showed that zoo visitors were more likely to stop in front of new exhibits and spend more time viewing new exhibits compared with […]
How capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) quantify objects and substances
Humans and nonhuman animals appear to share a capacity for nonverbal quantity representations. But what are the limits of these abilities? Results of previous research with human infants suggest that the ontological status of an entity as an object or a substance affects infants’ ability to quantify it. We ask whether the same is true […]
Psychological well-being of primates in captivity.
Recent amendments to the Animal Welfare Act will, upon taking effect, require that researchers who maintain nonhuman primates in captivity house their animals in such a way as to “promote their psychological well-being.” Unfortunately, no consensus presently exists in terms of how to define or identify psychological well-being in primate subjects. We propose a strategy […]
Signs of mood and anxiety disorders in chimpanzees
Background: In humans, traumatic experiences are sometimes followed by psychiatric disorders. In chimpanzees, studies have demonstrated an association between traumatic events and the emergence of behavioral disturbances resembling posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. We addressed the following central question: Do chimpanzees develop posttraumatic symptoms, in the form of abnormal behaviors, which cluster into syndromes […]
Use of Primates in Research: What Do We Know About Captive Strepsirrhine Primates?
The increasing debate and restrictions on primate research have prompted many surveys about their status. However, there is a lack of information regarding strepsirrhine primates in the literature. This study provides an overview of research on strepsirrhines in captivity by analyzing scientific articles published from 2010 to 2013 and assessing publicly available government reports in […]