Enticing nonhuman primates to forage for their standard biscuit ration
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1993 |
Authors: |
Viktor Reinhardt |
Publication/Journal: |
Zoo Biology |
Publisher: |
A Wiley Company, Inc., Wiley Subscription Services |
Keywords: |
environmental enrichment, feeding technique, foraging, macaques |
ISBN: |
1098-2361 |
Abstract:
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430120308.abs Ordinary feeder-boxes for macaques were converted into food puzzles by remounting them onto the square mesh (22 × 22 mm) of the front of the cages, away from original access holes. Feeding a standard ration of bar-shaped biscuits (40 × 24 × 16 mm; Purina Monkey Chow #5038; 236 g per animal), 8 adult pair-housed male rhesus macaques spent, on average, 61.0±15.6% of the first 30 min retrieving biscuits from food puzzles, but only 0.5±0.1% from feeder-boxes. Their total amount of time engaged in gathering food was, on average, 141 times higher at food puzzles (42.2±7.2 min) than at feeder-boxes (0.3±0.1 min). It was concluded that using feeder-boxes as food puzzles, baited with the standard biscuit ration, offers a cost- and work-effective way to promote foraging activities in captive nonhuman primates. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.