Effects of captions on viewers’ perceptions of images depicting human−primate interaction
Promoting human contact with wildlife can be harmful to animal conservation and welfare by exposing animals to unsafe situations and driving demand for wildlife tourism and exotic pets. Conservationists and researchers justifiably use social media to raise awareness, but professionals posting pictures of themselves with animals can have unintended negative consequences for conservation. Though the […]
Group structure and individual relationships of sanctuary-living Grauer’s gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri)
The study of individual social relationships and group structure provides insights into a species’ natural history and can inform management decisions for animals living in human care. The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) center provides permanent sanctuary for a group of 14 Grauer’s gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri), a critically endangered and poorly studied subspecies […]
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 […]
Monkeying around: Non-human primate behavioural responses to humans reproducing their facial expressions
People are often observed mimicking animals’ facial expressions in an attempt to communicate with them. However, to date, there is limited understanding of how animals respond to humans reproducing their facial displays, or if this type of human behaviour presents a risk for either human safety or animal welfare. In the present study, we investigated […]
Visitor effects on zoo-housed Sulawesi crested macaque (Macaca nigra) behaviour: Can signs with ‘watching eyes’ requesting quietness help?
Visiting public can cause changes in the behaviour of zoo-housed primates. These effects, if indicative of stress, can be of welfare concern. However, few options to mitigate visitor effects through modulating visitor behaviour have been explored. Here we evaluated the effects of visitor number and visitor noise level on the behaviour of five UK groups […]
Promoting Good Nonhuman Primate Welfare outside Regular Working Hours
Promoting good primate welfare outside of daylight hours is an important task. The responsibility to provide a complex environment and environmental enrichment is an essential element of primate wellbeing programs that should be approached from a 24-h perspective and planned according to the species and individual needs, including giving animals the ability to interact with […]
Zoo studies in primate physiology, health, and welfare
Researchers have been studying primates in zoos for more than half a century. There are numerous benefits to conducting research with zoo collections, such as access to a variety of species, ease of sample collection, and the potential to manipulate some research variables. While much of the primate research conducted in zoos is behavioral, there […]
Nonhuman primate abnormal behavior: Etiology, assessment, and treatment
Across captive settings, nonhuman primates may develop an array of abnormal behaviors including stereotypic and self-injurious behavior. Abnormal behavior can indicate a state of poor welfare, since it is often associated with a suboptimal environment. However, this may not always be the case as some behaviors can develop independently of any psychological distress, be triggered […]
Do zoo‐housed primates retreat from crowds? A simple study of five primate species
An animal’s welfare state is directly influenced by the mental state, which is shaped by experiences within the environment throughout the animal’s life. For zoo-housed animals, visitors to the zoo are a large part of that environment and a fluctuating influence within it. This study examines the impact of zoo visitors on the space use […]
May unpredictable events affect monkey welfare under human care?
This study aimed at evaluating the effects of unpredictability on behavioral and clinical aspects of Geoffroy’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix cana cana) – a frugivorous Amazonian primate species – under human care. We studied seven individuals subjected to five conditions: two control conditions (PRE and POST; 10 days each), and three experimental conditions in which unpredictability […]